The Kryptonite: For 5G

How location intelligence can help push telecom growth?
I 24 `75
VOL 28 ISSUE 08 AUGUST 2021
www.voicendata.com
Connecting the Digital World
26
The Kryptonite
for 5G
NFV, abstraction, high surface areas – it’s easy to guess
why security can be a biggest concern as 5G gathers steam.
Here is how the industry can pre-empt these risks
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[CONTENTS]
EDITOR: Shubhendu Parth
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Pratima Harigunani
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Vaishnavi Desai
ASSISTANT EDITOR (Online): Supriya Rao
08 cover story
ASSISTANT EDITOR (Special Projects): Ankit Parashar
The Kryptonite
CONTENT EXECUTIVE: Hemant Kashyap
SUB EDITOR: Manisha Sharma
MANAGER DESIGN & COVER DESIGN: Vijay Chand
for 5G
VICE PRESIDENT RESEARCH - Anil Chopra
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SR Vice President: Rachna Garga (rachnag@cybermedia.co.in)
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NFV, abstraction, high surface areas – it’s

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Manager: Subhadeep Sen (South, West)
cybermedia labs
manager: Ashok K Pandey
easy to guess why security can be a biggest
Marketing & Alliances concern as 5G gathers steam. Here is how
the industry can pre-empt these risks
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4 VOICE&DATA August 2021 A CyberMedia Publication I www.voicendata.com
[CONTENTS]
TRENDS
COMMENTARY
24 How location intelligence can help push
telecom growth?
22 5G to unleash
digital verification 54 Add a punch to your business communication
era
BROADBAND BYTES
32 Democratization 26 Time to look beyond
of space key to the UPI
Aatmanirbhar Bharat TV Ramachandran
President, Broadband India Forum
46 Let us talk about

MAKE IN INDIA
the price point
30 Make hay while the sun shines
50 Together we can
go digital NEWS ANALYSIS
34 Handset manufacturers back telcos across
52 C for spectrum bands
communication,
C for caution
35 TRAI unlikely to revise spectrum base price
TCHNOLOGY
36 Getting ready for esports
38 End of the router as we know it
REPORT
Interview
62 Experts warn
against using
hotel Wi-Fi
63 IoT, location
technology hot 40 “India is transforming into a 58 “NB-IoT has broadened the
among logistics wireless-first nation” Pankaj Kitchlu future of IoT” Angira Agrawal
players in APAC
REGULARS 6 Voicemail 7 Opening Note 65 News Bytes
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6 VOICE&DATA August 2021 A CyberMedia Publication www.voicendata.com
Shubhendu
Parth
[Opening Note]
Don’t ignore telecom: It’s at the heart

of post-pandemic life
Have you ever wondered how many of the 195 countries do not have mobile phones? I tried to search the answer but
could not get an authentic number. However, we certainly know that by the end of 2020, over 5.2 billion people – 67 % of
the global population – subscribed to mobile services. We also know that mobile technologies and services generated
USD4.4 trillion of economic value added globally during the CY 2020. The GSMA report, ‘The Mobile Economy 2021’,
estimates this economic impact to grow by USD480 billion and touch USD5 trillion by 2025, particularly with the
launch of 5G that is expected to drive improvements in productivity and efficiency.
India has also witnessed a massive uptake in the use of digital technologies since April 2020, after the pandemic
outbreak. Health and human services (HHS) organizations reported the highest adoptions of digital technologies,
according to a research report, ‘Embracing Digital: Is Covid-19 the catalyst for lasting change?’, based on a survey by
EY and Imperial College London’s Institute for Global Health Innovation in Australia, India, Italy, UAE, the UK, and US.
In this survey, 51% Indian respondents indicated an increase in the use of digital technologies and data solutions,
while 74% believed the adoption led to an increase in staff productivity. Nearly three-fourth of the Indian respondents
reported positive experiences with digitalization, leading to better collaboration and efficiency in the operating model.
Educational institutions, government and private organizations, ecommerce, entertainment and others too have gone
digital like never before.
We know that a major portion of broadband subscribers in India are wireless – 757.53 million – as compared to 22.74
wireline one, according to the TRAI’s May-end data. The top five service providers constituted 98.80% market share of
the total broadband subscribers: Reliance Jio Infocomm (434.23 million), Bharti Airtel (192.73 million), Vodafone Idea
(119.64 million), BSNL (22.47 million), and Atria Convergence (1.87 million). This clearly show the critical role that the
telecom service providers have to play in enabling Digital India and the government’s vision of making India a USD5
trillion economy by 2024-25.
Against this background, the recent crisis in the telecom sector triggered by the Supreme Court decision to disallow
any re-calculations on AGR dues of telcos to the government is not just a setback for Vodafone Idea, it can impact the
overall telecom sector growth and economy with a duopoly looming large. It will also impact the 5G rollout in India –
the silver bullet that is expected to steer the country’s dream of becoming a global economic powerhouse.
While a stitch in time could have saved a lot of uncertainty – for the government certainly knew what was coming and
how hard it will hit, it needs to act fast to help the company survive and ensure India does not falter at the first step of
the new-generation tech rollout.
shubhendup@cybermedia.co.in
[COVER STORY]
5G
The Kryptonite
for 5G
IDC projects the number of 5G connections will

go up to 1 billion and 5G will represent 8.9% of all
mobile transactions by 2023. Each of these devices
is a potential entry point – and securing them will
require a Zero Trust mind-set
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5G
NFV, abstraction, high surface areas –

it’s easy to guess why security can be a
biggest concern as 5G gathers steam.
Here is how the industry can pre-empt
these risks
By Pratima Harigunani
5G
is big. It is arriving and will attract security weaknesses. “It takes time to mature the
huge investments too. But there technology, get enough eyes on it, and vet out the issues.
is a concern. Despite the massive Looking specifically at 5G, the industry is adopting a
application versatility, payback, much more open model that has positives and negatives.
disruption and low-latency So, we will see a lot of open source options and this is
impact it promises – or perhaps because of that – 5G great from a cost perspective. On the other side, this
could find security as its Achilles’ heel. Is this heel big and will provide access to the internal 5G systems that were
vulnerable enough to stop 5G from running fast? And can not available in prior proprietary models. This exposure
5G open new back-doors on security-related fears? offers opportunities for cyber criminals to research and
find 0-days that can be used to exploit 5G networks.”
Weak-spots: Why and where?
The very fact that 5G is exciting and raw makes it on the While the technology holds immense potential to
hot list of attackers and adversaries. And that’s a pattern benefit organizations and users, aspects like safety and
that has proven itself for everything that is new on the privacy, especially for the emerging internet of things
maturity curve because that’s not just industry-readiness (IoT) ecosystem, pose the greatest risk to 5G, explains
but also standards and collaboration are half-baked. Venkat Krishnapur, Vice President of Engineering and
Managing Director, McAfee Enterprise India. “It can
Steve McGregory, Senior Director of Cyber Security possibly increase the likelihood of denial-of-service
R&D Keysight Technologies points out that historically, (DoS), distributed denial-of-service (DDoS), or even
new technology comes with unknowns and potential attacks due to the sheer number of connected devices.”
[COVER STORY]
5G
“We will see a lot of open source options and this

is great from a cost perspective. However, this will
provide access to the internal 5G systems that were
not available in prior proprietary models.”
Steve McGregory, Senior Director, Cyber Security R&D, Keysight Technologies
But about 3% of enterprises overall don’t see a successful advanced hacking attempt, bad actors can
addressing security concerns as their responsibility. As potentially gain access to a telcos customer database,
per the GSMA Intelligence Enterprise in Focus Survey and then be able to indirectly exploit customers’ mobile
2020, many enterprises, especially smaller ones, tend to devices.
fall victim to basic attacks. This is mainly due to lack of
baseline protection and a minimum level of digital hygiene. The big IoT playground
About 37% of those that haven’t amended security Network pervasiveness and an expanded surface area
practices expect IoT solutions to already be secure. Also, due to IoT are also the prime reasons that make 5G
44% of operators have seen increased growth in demand vulnerable on security. As Prakash Bell, Head of Customer
for security services from their enterprise clients – this is Success, Regional SE Lead, Check Point Software
because of COVID-19. Technologies, India and SAARC explains, the transition to
5G technology is much anticipated by organizations and
As many as 45% operators consider it extremely consumers alike. This new technology will immensely
important to invest in security to help achieve a long- expand capabilities in delivering new business solutions,
term enterprise revenue goal. Operators also see not data-heavy applications, and ubiquitous high-speed
having enough knowledge or tools to discover and solve connectivity. However, as with any data connectivity that
upcoming security vulnerabilities as a top challenge; as enables a farther reach with more end-points connected,
experienced by 48% of surveyed operators. There were it does bring a set of challenges.
also strong hints of a limited 39% pool of security experts
that the industry has. He puts the spotlight on network ubiquity here. “As
5G makes mobile networks more powerful, employees
Krishnapur breaks down the security problem in a and business devices may start to use them for newer
granular way. “Today, telecom companies are dealing applications, which were limited by bandwidth capabilities
with two specific types of attacks – one that looks to of current technologies. This emphasizes the need for
gain access to their organization, network operations and taking security services to the edge; with more smarter
data, and the other that indirectly targets the company’s and disparate devices connecting to business, utility
subscribers. While the first could lead to loss of valuable services etc. This would put SASE (Secure Access Service
company information, impact finances and reputation, Edge) at the core of securely connecting, managing whilst
the latter could lead to a loss of customer trust. Through delivering applications in a seamless manner.”
“It can possibly increase the likelihood of denial-

of-service (DoS), distributed denial-of-service
(DDoS), or even attacks due to the sheer number of
connected devices.”
Venkat Krishnapur, Vice President, Engineering & Managing Director, McAfee Enterprise India
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5G
“Full network visibility combined with ML and

AI for detecting abnormal behaviour and hence
taking action in real time will become standard
operating procedure.”
Gaurav Agarwal, Senior Director – Enterprise Sales, VMware India
As for IoT, he cautions that historically, IoT devices downloading malware to their work computers, with
have had poor security, creating potential gaps in an strong focus on German, Vietnamese, and Indian telecom
organization’s security, while expanding its attack surface. companies,” he informs.
5G private networks have a bigger attack surface And it’s not just IoT that we need to be worried about.
as they focus more on IoT, connecting more devices,
echoes the GSMA Intelligence survey as well. What has Abstraction – The big plus, the big fear
been pointed as a disturbing finding here is that some A major novelty about 5G is that its network infrastructure
enterprises still don’t regard data from IoT devices as design hinges a lot on disaggregation of network functions
important. 5G SA has been explained here as more secure from the underlying infrastructure. It works a lot through
than any previous network generation. But the problem Software Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function
begins when the attack surface expands and convergence Virtualisation (NFV), and cloud-native architecture. So
of IT/OT and IoT continues which is where any security when we think of 5G, we are also thinking of 5G-specific
breach has a company-wide impact. aspects like Multi Edge Cloud (MEC), Non-Public Network
(NPN), virtualization and software-ization that could
The security side of 5G is a big cause of concern. definitely affect security in a big way.
Yong Zhou, Security Solutions Architect, Keysight
Technologies tells this is so because 5G provides critical Bell avers. “Yes, Carriers today have largely adopted
enterprise and national infrastructure and enables NFV bringing in VFN into multiple areas of their
mission-critical applications like industrial IoTs (IIoTs), network. Moreover, the voice services are delivered over
connected automotive, and robotic medicines. Add to IP data networks allowing rapid scalability, switching
that the fact that the 5G network architecture is more performance and quality. With more and more software-
open, disaggregated and virtualized, plus the support to defined capabilities in their networks, securing the 5G
user equipments (UEs), greatly expands its attack surface infrastructure in itself is very important.”
for cyber threats comparing to previous generations of
monolithic networks. “The open source, virtualization, and anyone can
deploy 5G-aspect, will have a greater attack surface and
5G will bring with it many benefits, but the newfound potential for broader impact on vulnerabilities since all
connectivity between devices will exponentially increase the deployments must be managed and patched. We see
the surface of vulnerability, making it simpler for delay in patch management throughout the industry and
cybercriminals to infect devices, stay hidden, and cause this will likely convey to 5G,” wars McGregory as well.
widespread damage. For cybercriminals, an increased
attack surface can only mean increased opportunities to As to Software-ization and virtualization, they are
exploit for their nefarious gains, Krishnapur reasons. expected to have a considerable impact on forthcoming
5G deployments as they guarantee to accelerate
“Earlier this year, McAfee Enterprise researchers innovation of network architectures. Software-defined
discovered a cyber espionage campaign targeting architectures become important in a high-speed, low-
telecommunications companies linked to 5G technology. latency ecosystem such as 5G where network and
The campaign, ‘Operation Diànxùn’, used branded bandwidth optimizations, for example, need reduced
phishing domains to lure telecoms workers into hardware dependences. However, when software-
[COVER STORY]
5G
“One of the best, innovative approaches is to use

‘nano’ footprint plugins that can work on any device
or operating system across various environments.”
Prakash Bell, Head, Customer Success, Regional SE Lead,
Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC
based components are offered by different vendors, the of security, or immediately quarantine compromised
potential of security holes due to integration complexity devices so that they cannot infect the rest of the
also intensifies, adds Krishnapur. network and SDN supports moving workloads around
networks quickly. For instance, dividing a virtual
In the GSMA Survey report, it has been explained that network into sections, using a technique called NFV
the 5G network core will be based on SDN and NFV which allows telecommunications providers to move customer
make heavy use of the HTTP and REST API protocols. services to less expensive servers or even to the
“These protocols are well known and widely used on the customer’s own servers.”
internet and are thus hackable,” reminds the report. As
many as 41% of operators highlight vulnerabilities related Now the disaggregation of Core and RAN makes
to network virtualization. security a very important consideration as the attack
surface increases dramatically and all players in the
Gaurav Agarwal, Senior Director – Enterprise Sales, supply chain will not have consistent secure frameworks.
VMware India explains the aspect of virtualization and “Full network visibility combined with machine learning
software-ization here, and whether it affects or aids (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for detecting abnormal
security in a big way. “A software-defined network behaviour and hence taking action in real time will become
delivers visibility into the entire network, providing a standard operating procedure. Perimeter Security will
holistic view of security threats. Operators can create have to be complimented with East to West traffic
separate zones for devices that require different levels visibility and security to prevent lateral movements.”
As Krishnapur dissects it, compared to traditional

telecom networks, MEC has undergone significant
What makes 5G risky? changes in network architecture and operational
models, which have spawned new security threats and
challenges. “MEC often contains data assets of operators
n IoT exposure and industrial customers, making it necessary to
manage each party from the aspects of authentication,
authorization, and monitoring to secure MEC nodes.”
n Network sprawl
Then there is the aspect of a NPN. Typically, a NPN
n Virtualized assets is intended for the sole use of a private organization,
providing coverage and private network services to
devices that are within the organization’s defined
n Multi Edge Cloud (MEC) premises, explains Krishnapur. “An NPN can be secluded
from external networks and stay behind corporate
firewalls. However, the standardization work on the use
n Non-Public Network (NPN) of NPNs in 5G systems is still in its infancy. The increased
adoption of 5G will require NPN to combine the security
n Legacy spillover and configurability benefits of a private network with the
significant advantages of 5G.”
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5G
Historically, internet of things (IoT) devices have had

poor security, creating potential gaps in an organization’s
security, while expanding its attack surface.
Plus, there is the legacy baggage again. Just a expect 5G to touch a lot of citizen applications and
minority of 5G private networks will be greenfield; state infrastructure as well. All this has prompted many
and most will have to integrate and interoperate with governments to look at security aspect of telecom
existing (legacy) technologies. The GSMA Survey report operators, drawing up guidelines for telcos to adhere
tells that merely a quarter of surveyed operators see it to, as these networks form part of any nation’s mission
as a challenge. critical infrastructure. Bell suggests that security is
fundamental and is to be embedded in the architecture,
Filling the gaps – In time design and operations of such infrastructures; and cannot
Security cannot be an option – especially when we be an afterthought.
What it takes to secure 5G network

M5G private networks have a larger potential attack surface because of IoT exposure,
physical mobility of devices and the interplay between enterprises, mobile operators,
manufacturers, IT/OT vendors and suppliers.
Operators will need to offer logical isolation mechanisms and physical radio layer
protections (jamming protection). To fulfil the requirements for a single trust domain,
additional end-to-end encryption and integrity protection mechanisms need to be
in place.
With 5G, enterprises and providers can be jointly responsible for security. End-to-end
security requires vendor collaboration, but enterprise customers have a role to play
too. They have work to do in ensuring their data is protected as they are in charge of
their own devices and the data generated by them, regardless of where it is stored.
Zero trust architecture alleviates both the risk of an external attacker getting into
the network and the risk of lateral movement in the event of a security breach. 5G
specifications are aligned with zero trust creeds.
Machine learning models capable of detecting unknown threats will grow in

importance. Security by design, which includes automation and is able to dynamically
apply security policies, will be able to keep up with the speed of 5G networks.
Source: GSMA Intelligence Enterprise in Focus Survey 2020
[COVER STORY]
5G
The connectivity between devices will increase the surface

of vulnerability, making it simpler for cybercriminals to
infect, stay hidden, and cause widespread damage.
Forrester’s report – ‘The CIO’s Guide To 5G In The the perimeter and internal zone/segment, end-to-end
Public Sector’ tells how only 34% of public sector decision encryption and continuous security assessments and
makers recognise the technology’s ROI (compared to 42% monitoring.
across all industries) and 32% remain unconvinced of its
ability to increase operational efficiency. It suggests that Zhou stresses on the ‘Security by Design’ principle
we should be making security and privacy imperatives and advises that MEC/virtualization requires trusted
to protect citizens and government data. “To build trust, computing at the infrastructure and host layer,
data protection technology must be integral to any 5G authentication at the MEC application layer and
solutions in the public sector.” encryption at the transport layer, while service APIs
should be another security emphasis. “Third party/open-
A lot of measures can be taken. We can lock the stable source software (applications) bring in additional risks to
doors well in time before the horses stroll out. For instance, the end-to-end security, therefore we need to follow the
there is a need to take care of the IoT surface-area. Suggests above-mentioned guidance of supplier security.”
Bell, “Given this huge volume and variety of products,
many of which will have extremely limited or zero security Bell also recommends use of automation and strong
capabilities, organizations would need an easy way to security posture management solutions that would
deploy and manage security on any type of device. One of simplify governance and enforcement of compliance
the best, innovative approaches is to use ‘nano’ footprint easier. Krishnapur points out that there is a need to develop
plugins that can work on any device or operating system governance, ensure compliance, strengthen design,
across various environments. These ‘nano’ software to deploy and operate secure network infrastructure
agents control every attribute that goes to, and from, the and services. “To ensure this, users, devices, software,
device on the 5G network and connects to the consolidated networks, and back-end infrastructures all play an
security architecture to enforce protection.” important role in improving the security of 5G devices.”
Agarwal illustrates how, for the rollout of new services, In response to the dynamic nature of threats, CSOs
Airtel felt limited due to its existing legacy networking and CTOs will need to invest in security solutions that
and security architecture. “Despite the size and the scale are agile enough to evolve alongside threats, he adds.
of its operations, Airtel found it challenging to adapt to “Practices like employee awareness and training, policies,
the changing preferences of its consumers. Hence, Airtel and tools to reduce insider risk, protection of intellectual
decided to transform its traditional security operations to property will need to be updated. Training should be
a software-defined network security model. Previously, provided and good practices rewarded.”
their legacy physical firewalls added layers of complexity
during mission-critical troubleshooting. The lack of Thankfully, according to the GSMA Intelligence survey,
automation and inconsistency in configuration also over 45% of operators have considered it extremely
limited policy information. Deploying NSX SDFW turned important to invest in security to help them achieve a
this around by optimizing their firewall policies by long-term enterprise revenue goal in 2021. And certainly,
reducing their firewall rule count by over 30%.” the realisation and awareness matters.
As Zhou weighs in, there are two side of the security There is no doubt that 5G will have its chinks. But the
concern – one is supplier related and the other is related to Achilles heel can still be in the left foot if the industry puts
service provider. “Because of the 5G network architecture, the right foot forward and uses it smartly, wisely and with
securing the supply chain of the 5G network elements a mind-set that does not forget or side-step security but
is the foundation of a secured 5G.” Also securing its prioritises it. Tip-toeing may help too. Until we feel sure-
networks, communications, and operations is the key of footed enough.
a secured 5G network, which includes (but is not limited
to) zero-trust architecture, network security controls at pratimah@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
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[COVER STORY]
5G
India’s 5G challenge
High cost of network, lack of infrastructure, and massive
number of user are some of the issues that telcos need to
grapple with as they plan to roll out 5G in India
By Vinay K Mayer
The arrival of 5G will introduce many new technologies and

devices, but it also brings with it new security risks, especially
as we move into the era of IoT.
T
omorrow’s mobile connectivity could bring even While 5G is just around the corner and everyone
greater speed and lower latency than it does today. seems to be excited about its promises to usher in the
Imagine being able to download a movie in less next generation of mobile connectivity, telecom operators
time than it takes you to read this article! But the only way and the government are working hard to develop the
5G will be 5X faster than 4G, is if the infrastructure that ecosystem for India. And the question that bothers many
supports it has improved as well. is how India will be able to deploy 5G when there is a lack
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5G
To increase the adoption of 5G, it is also important

to make sure that affordable handsets work on the
new network as well.
of infrastructure. Will 5G be any different than its 4G nationwide plan for where to set up 5G networks, what
predecessor? Here is a list of the reasons why India must spectrum will be used, who will utilize it, and how it will
undergo structural changes for 5G technology to become interact with older technologies that still have some time
a reality. before they’re fully phased out.
The roadmap for India A blueprint to prevent technical snags

The smartphone market is undergoing an enormous The arrival of 5G will introduce many new technologies
shift during this time of technological development, fast and devices, but it also brings with it new security risks,
internet speeds and new advances in entertainment, especially as we move into the era of the internet of
and it is nearly undeniable that more individuals will things (IoT). For example, the new technology will create
be turning to smartphones to supply their every need. opportunities for advanced patient monitoring, remote
Most nations are expected to progress technologically surgery, and automated driving, but it will also introduce
using 5G technology within the next few years because the risk of unwanted attacks and spying.
having all of the technology needed to keep up with the
rest of the world is vital for competency and wealth when India will need a much-improved digital infrastructure
participating in the global economy. if it is to have a 5G network. A digitally enabled society
is well underway in India that will propel it to become
In India, most industries are involved in various ways one of the world’s biggest markets for internet use.
to help launch 5G in the country. The country has been Therefore, now would be the best time for building new
making a significant investment in R&D for all mobile networks to deliver improved communications with
companies and the government alike. The process faster speeds and greater network stability. However,
that’s currently taking place is working on finalizing a there are currently some roadblocks when it comes to
Fact of the matter

5G has been deployed in over 60+ countries. When compared to 4G, the technology
is being adopted immediately. The buyers are very happy with the high speed and
low latency.
With 5G, we can experience augmented and virtual reality at faster, uniform data
rates, with lower latency, lower costs, and improved smartphones.
5G will redefine an array of industries over mobile devices, including sales,

manufacturing, and transportation, healthcare, and asset performance. The Indian
market currently offers 4G (and 3G prior to that), which provides improvements in
data transfer speeds for smartphones; 5G will allow the entire range of products to
communicate. The number of devices that can be connected to the network with 5G
is increasing dramatically, reaching a trillion per square mile.
[COVER STORY]
5G
The 5th generation wireless network uses a C-V2X

communication protocol. This could present new security
challenges when it comes to battlefield applications.
these new fibre optic cables being installed leading to around us and this makes them an integral part of
potential problems down the line. creating a hyper-dense network that can support speeds
of up to 10 Gbps!
Challenges, threats, security solutions
The high cost of setting up the network, lack of Tech-laden devices: A significant number of premium
infrastructure, and sheer number of users have been 5G phones will soon be available in India. Mobile phone
major challenges for telecom companies in India. companies like Samsung, Huawei, and OnePlus are
However, the recent announcement of 5G trials shows launching their premium phones to boost the adoption
that telecom service operators are getting the gist of this of 5G for a better future overall. To increase the adoption
new technology. of 5G, it is also important to make sure that affordable
handsets work on the new network as well.
According to reports, India plans to launch its 5G
network by August 2022. A series of auctions will be Security and privacy issues: This can be a major
held for engineering, procurement, and construction concern anytime when large amounts of information are
of the 5G infrastructure later this year. As part of its 5G being sent over a network. The 5th generation wireless
development efforts, it has launched test projects in network uses a C-V2X communication protocol that
Mumbai and Gurgaon with Bharti Airtel and Reliance JIO. will enable broad coverage for many more devices. This
However, there are still some other significant factors at could present new security challenges when it comes to
play that will affect 5G rollout battlefield applications, commercial operations, medical
fields, and consumer devices like smart homes.
Small cells for 5G: Small cells are the network’s
sturdier 5G foundation. They are deployed anywhere Deploying 5G in India
from 200 to 250 meters apart through our infrastructure, Recent discussions indicate that telecom operators
on electricity poles near you, on streetlights, and above are expanding their assets by increasing the capacity
metro pillars. There are hundreds of ways that small of their BTS sites and turning to microcells for rural
cell technology is interacting with the built environment coverage. A MIMO technology upgrade will also boost
Barricades ahead
To make 5G a reality, telecom companies need to spend more on buying airwaves
and building the infrastructure.
• Indians are not yet ready to pay the high price of 5G service as the cost of bills will
increase significantly with the emergence of 5G technology.
• The telecommunications industry in India is not in good shape. Many

telecommunications companies suffer from high debt and pending taxes.
• 4G technology in India is not yet fully developed in India and in this state
switching to higher technology is not a wise option.
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5G
The transition to 5G networks will differ from the way we

transitioned from older 3G systems to 4G in the past, where
we had to insert a new SIM card into the device.
bandwidth speeds for customers. Experts believe the allowing operators to send data on demand, improving
integration of 5G into our current technologies will the speed of data delivery to locations whenever and
create a “leapfrog” effect, which will bring improvements wherever they may be.
in communication.
The methods for modulating, demodulating, and
4G vs 5G network architecture differences include coding differ depending on the communication type
latency, potential download speeds, base stations, and (2G, 3G, or 4G) and which network a person may be
OFDM encoding and cell density. 5G is expected to be using. The most common modulations used in these
about 100X larger than 4G. Those speeds are possible types of communications are GSM and TDMA for legacy
because most 5G networks are built on very high cellular networks, T-DMB for digital TV broadcasting,
airwaves, also known as the high-band spectrum. High and DVB-H & DVB-T for digital terrestrial television
waves can transmit a lot of data, much faster than 4G. broadcasting. While some standards have been set with
5G technologies, like MIMO communications, many are
Besides, 5G networks use 256-bit encryption, which still under development.
is a substantial improvement on the 128-bit standard
used by 4G. 5G encrypts the user’s identity and location, Another way to maximize your cell phone network’s
making it impossible to identify or locate them once they efficiency is to reduce interference and maximize the
are on the network. capacity of available channels. Researchers have found
that the 4G network increases overall capacity by reducing
Reports also indicate that 5G cellular networks will be interference between signals and letting various sets of
so fast that one won’t need individual SIM cards. Experts base stations work together more effectively. A similar
say that the transition to a completely new generation approach is used in 5G network planning because studies
of 5G networks will differ from the way we transitioned have shown that multiple coordination technologies can
from older 3G systems to 4G in the past, where we had to improve capacity.
insert a new SIM card into the device.
India happens to be on the forefront as it is working
Experts point out that some industries may benefit towards becoming a 5G contributor with its Digital
more from 5G, particularly those requiring high speeds, India program. When this novel technology has
low latency, and 5G network capacity. Smart factories, for been fully implemented and is available for use, it
instance, can use 5G to enhance production and efficiency could revolutionize our everyday lives in a way yet
by using industrial Ethernet. Other technologies, undiscovered. Understanding that 5G will open up
including autonomous cars, may take advantage of this incredible opportunities in all fields, it may mean even
technology since they will send signals to a cloud-based more bandwidth is required so we should start thinking
computer, which analyses the situation and sends signals of ways to allocate resources wisely at this juncture.
back to the car. Because we do not want India to fall behind with regard
to its infrastructure development, let’s take proactive
What does the industry expect? steps towards exploring our options regarding how best
The 5G network architecture will include ultrahigh to implement this ultra-advanced technology right here
capacity as a leading design feature due to its ability to in our own country so that when it becomes available, we
operate at higher speeds. This internet infrastructure are prepared and ready for its inclusion
will enable multiple networks to work together as if they into our day-to-day lives.
were one cohesive network, giving it greater flexibility
and control. As a result of 5G’s intelligent and resourceful Mayer is Director – Marketing Research &
use of IT or information technology, it recognizes the Consulting, Asia Research Partners LLP
importance of capacity usage and energy efficiency, feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[COVER STORY]
5g
“There is a strong Made-

in-India effort emerging
in the industry”
Chris Rice
CEO, Access Solutions, STL
What is your strategy and portfolio for the 5G roll- Tell us something about the role of standards and
out in India? patents in 5G adoption?
5G has the potential to improve quality of life by 5G has similar properties to other wireless generations
bridging social inequalities and providing equal access relating to Standard and Essential Patents (SEPs). The
to the latest technologies. 5G will also add economic leading industry-standard 3GPP tracks more than 700
advantages as it will drive relentless innovation, open technical specifications and technical reports related to
new streams of revenues and generate millions of 5G and over 87,000 individual patents. That said, 5G is
employment opportunities. STL plans to participate in the first time that there is an interoperable specification
the 5G ecosystem as a supplier of Open RAN solutions, for interconnection and APIs in the RAN. These Open
software and services for delivery and deployment RAN specifications are detailed in O-RAN Alliance
of these systems. Our range of products includes specifications.
open radio units, both indoor and outdoor, in various
frequency bands; the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) Would pilots or phased-trials be the right way to go
software platform, and additional components and forward with 5G?
services for delivery of 5G. All technologies roll out in a trial form. This helps
suppliers and carriers vet the technology and see how it
How is STL enterprise strategy different from performs in limited production environments, allowing
others? Also, what about private LTE and captive for enhancements to occur. The potential of 5G can
5G pockets here? be extracted with continuous 5G trials. New-age test
Along with 5G gears, our approach has been to solutions are developed to accommodate complex use
prepare the network infrastructure with as much of 5G cases and overall advancements in architecture. This
technology as possible. We are focusing on providing has evolved the need for advanced emulation and
many of the features, functionalities and benefits of 5G. verification technology.
Fibre is an important element for 5G. In collaboration
with government and private players, we are working What’s your take on the state of 5G spectrum in
to fibrerize towers across India and the globe. We have India – bands, availability, and pricing, etc?
expanded our plant capacity from 18 fibre km to 33 fibre We are somewhat agnostic to spectrum as a supplier of
km to meet the growing need for fibre. 5G Open RAN technology. But we think that spectrum
will be the lifeblood of 5G and is critical for the larger
We have radio units for indoor 5G, coupled with ecosystem from a policy, allocation, and pricing
investments and alliances with an enterprise 5G baseband perspective. We are glad to make equipment to cover
unit supply. This radio and baseband unit combination any band. The more spectrum that opens up, the more
allows us to provide an end-to-end enterprise 5G indoor opportunity for broadband to the larger portions of the
solution that provides true 5G wireless coverage and population. Broadband is known to drive economic
capabilities, but can be installed like WiFi – structured development and access to information and applications
wiring, power over Ethernet, etc. for users, reducing the digital divide. 5G is opening up
I I I
[COVER STORY]
5g
more spectrum, providing more broadband speed for a on market dynamics and some geopolitical issues,
given amount of spectrum, and delivering low latency there is a strong Made-in-India effort emerging in the
applications never imagined previously. industry, opening new economic opportunities for India
and driving job growth. The general open networking
What does India lack and what are its unique efforts and the Open RAN wireless area specifically are
strengths when we compare its 5G curve with other opening up new opportunities in India to be a global
regions? wireless supplier.
While 5G provides some impressive new capabilities,
it does require significant investment for a full rollout. Should we also start thinking about 6G-readiness as
That investment needs to be recouped through new we embark on 5G? Any suggestions or any attempts
subscriber growth, higher-speed wireless plans, or on your side?
new applications across the user base. India has a large Even though there are discrete steps in wireless
population of about 1.4B people. There are almost 1.2B evolution, like 3G, 4G, 5G, etc., innovation in wireless
wireless subscribers, and of those, about 44% are on 4G are something that happens on a continual basis. As
today. Many parts of the world have rolled out 5G already referenced above, the over 87,000 patents in the 5G area
and are growing their 5G subscriber base. India has an is something that happens from daily work to improve
opportunity to drive 5G adoption and can do it in a way wireless technology, and then those innovations are
that is unique using new lower cost, more interoperable debated and codified in standards. Once consensus is
Open RAN 5G equipment. This equipment is lower in agreed to, there is a specification that represents the
Capex and Opex and is more widely available from a next “G” of wireless. That work for 6G is happening now
broader ecosystem of suppliers. in labs all around the world, even as 5G is rolling out in
operator networks today.
Do you feel that the current state of geopolitics will
affect 5G evolution in India in any major way? Based feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
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VOICE&DATA August 2021 A CyberMedia Publication 21 I I
22/07/2021 16:25:20
[COMMENTARY]
5G
5G to unleash digital verification era

The 5G rollout will enable world to harness mobile-based security
and authentication in a big way, paving way for elimination of paper-
based processes
By Naveen Chava
I
ndia has the world’s highest data usage per smart In a way, the mobile phone of today is the device for
phone at an average of 9.8 GB per month, a new report verifiable identity as well as a payment terminal. The
by Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said, user base is the standard of valuation for businesses
adding that this will double to 18 GB by 2024. Globally, now and the growth user base is mostly coming from
the 4G service is expected to peak in 2023 and start mobile phones whose count will be same as the world
declining, and the 5G subscriber base is expected to population soon.
touch 1.9 Billion by 2024.
Efficiency of business is measured by the user
The mobile phones today are the smartest devices with experience and retention which happens not just
not just connectivity, but also biometrics for verification from the presentation but also from faster response,
like facial and voice recognition and fingerprint throughput, and capacity management. All of this will
authentication, pin pad for payments, OTP verification be even more possible with 5G which will improve
etc., giving seamless, reduced cycle times and digital the bandwidth by 10X and ultimately deliver the user
access from anywhere. Mobile phones are also the easiest experience on mobile phones.
device available for Video KYC that is needed for digital
on-boarding, irrespective of the geographic limitations. With the advent of 5G, the payments, eRetail and
eCommerce will continue to grow along with the mobile
Coverage of geographic boundaries is required for usage and growth. With 5G coming, we will have data
travel mostly, and requires detailed traveler information speeds much faster than most of us see on our desktops
like his current address, emergency contacts etc., which and laptops or using broadband, and deliver higher multi-
is always outdated and needs to be dynamically updated. Gbps peak data speeds. It will also allow massive network
I I I
[COMMENTARY]
5G
5G will expand mobile ecosystem to new industries and

user experiences such as boundless extreme reality
(XR), seamless IoT, and local interactive content.
capacity, with a more uniform and higher performance with data security and identity protection, including
and reliability. Improved efficiency will empower new verifiable consent to access and share data.
user experiences across existing and new industries.
Today, the need for digital signatures exists in all
Narrow Band-internet of things (NB-IoT) and Cat-M verticals—travel, banking, financial transactions, land
technologies will account for close to 45% of cellular transactions, employee verification, welfare scheme
IoT connections in 2024. Emerging industries with new disbursements, healthcare, insurance claims, employee
additional devices like IoT devices, drones for emergency remote on-boarding and corporate transactions. The
services, remote surgeries, autonomous driving and next step will be to enable digital verification and on-
many others will connect everything and everyone. boarding of customers, agents, vendors where KYC of
5G will expand mobile ecosystem to new industries any stakeholder is needed with real-time authentication
and cutting-edge user experiences such as boundless and on-boarding possible on mobile and done instantly
extreme reality (XR), seamless IoT capabilities, new with a network and data bandwidths available over 5G.
enterprise applications, local interactive content and
instant cloud access. Imagine ID verification needed for not just eCommerce
or cab companies, it is needed for every corporate for
We also live in a mobile world where people are employees, their agents, their customers who are buying,
always moving around with the need for access to selling and delivering. This requires a lot of cellular airtime
things happening dynamically around us and the instant that is possible with 5G. Digitally-signed, authenticated
need for being on top of things and getting things done documents from doctor, diagnostic labs or government
instantly keeping the concept of anywhere and anytime. might become a basic document for people to cross
Digital identity management will be the key to protect borders or go to work at their office in the future and this
online usage whether it is for shopping or mission critical is what is possible with 5G network coverage.
communication or any transaction. Authentication
should be seamless to the user and at the same time, We will also need to also explore the idea of having
digital verification should happen instantly. The users healthcare bands and devices capturing data that will
should have the ability to choose as many levels of have identity management, ADAS cars with verified
authentication whether it is biometric, pin-based or identity before using the data to upload. All of this will be
OTP-based verification. All of this will be possible with a reality in the near future.
seamless apps which are able to utilize ultra-low latency,
more reliability and increased availability of network These could be regularly happening transactions
enabled by 5G cellular network which was not possible in like legally binding contracts or agreements, financial
the past due to low data rates. submissions or one time Instant e-Consent or e-Sign for
additional product selling within bank, NBFC or platforms
Considering the current worldwide situation, where can also be done. The vision of bank on-boarding and
we are all confined to home and everything is mostly instant bank account access will be possible with 5G
happening online, the digital identity management and without the need of a physical visit.
verification has become even more important and this
can be implemented with the current lesser bandwidth The leap to an all-digital world of e-signed contracts,
of LTE. However, the user experience can be improved digital identity, truly digital banking, digital vehicle identity
enormously with 5G. will be cut short by a at least a few years and instead of
2030 a lot more adoption will happen in
The future of security 2021 itself because of the pandemic.
Key of the future for an individual will be their digital
signature, which will eliminate all paper-based transactions
with higher level of authentication since it can be easily Chava is the CEO of IDSign
done over uninterrupted and robust 5G network instantly feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[TRENDS]
LBI + 5G
How location intelligence can help

push telecom growth?
Now is the time for telcos to embrace the power of ‘where’ and 5G
with the combined prowess of spatial technology, data and analytics
and shape industries of the future
By Abhijit Sengupta
I
ndia is the world’s second-largest telecommunications
market with a subscriber base of a staggering 1.16 billion
Technologies such as multi-
and it is no surprise that the Indian mobile economy has access edge computing
been rapidly growing and contributing substantially to (MEC) are already bringing
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last couple
of decades. The growing consumer demand, backed by resources closer to the edge
liberal and reformist policies of the Government of India, to process data atmuch
has largely been instrumental in driving this growth.
Additionally, easy market access of telecom equipment
higher speeds.
and a fair and proactive regulatory framework has
ensured the availability of these services to consumers at for connectivity industry to fully embrace the power of
an affordable price too. ‘where’ with the combined prowess of spatial technology,
data and analytics.
However, telecommunication is a highly competitive
industry and the only way a telecom can gain a Historically, telecom companies have relied on location
competitive edge (besides cost) is by innovating and insights to surface marketing insights and drive consumer
integrating future-ready services at an early stage of engagement. Location innovation is shaping the future by
its rollout. Add 5G to the mix and a whole new world helping the telecom industry drive intelligence, business
of opportunities opens up. Technologies such as multi- innovation and stay ahead of the curve in terms of market
access edge computing (MEC) are already bringing disruption by network planning, enhancing business
resources closer to the edge to process data atmuch operations, streamlining the workforce, safer driving, and
higher speeds. This, combined with 5G, is going to creating new opportunities.
revolutionize the way we live and conduct business,
especially within the telecom industry. In this backdrop, Driving effective network planning
companies that ready themselves and invest in their Location intelligence can help gain vital insights into
future will steer the gateway to internet of things (IoT) business operations to determine which and how
devices, smart vehicles and more. Like any business or many customers a telecom can reach, the number of
industry though, profitability for the telecoms industry towers they need to build and connect, as well as ways
will be underlined by optimizing investment in the to optimize the existing network. Keeping the ‘where’
right technologies. dimension in focus, organizations can model and test
the best site locations for network towers for optimum
Powering the next wave of growth coverage. Besides enabling effective network planning,
The idea of using location technology and data isn’t leveraging location intelligence can also help in managing
new for India Inc. In line with this, location intelligence the assets after installation.
has always been a key mainstay across industries, from
ride-sharing apps to targeted digital promotions, retail As we continue to build a world that will thrive on remote
marketing, and connected vehicles. But now is the time working, 5G and MEC will enable unprecedented levels of
I I I
[TRENDS]
LBI + 5G
High-precision maps, advanced edge AI perception, and

low latency provided by 5G MEC pave way for enhanced
road safety and precise localization for navigation.
compute and network performance with high bandwidth these super-high speeds, coupled with the right kind of
data transfers and ultra-low-latency connections to power connected vehicle technology, geospatial information
autonomous services globally. Location intelligence will and real-time traffic updates, drivers can gain insights
be crucial to the deployment of 5G MEC networks. To into road conditions, traffic congestion and any sudden
support the infrastructure required for this new 5G MEC, movement of pedestrians onto roads and respond quickly
which requires a dense and complex network of small to avoid road accidents.
cells instead of the usual spaced out cells, rich visual
information and geospatial context will further support Creating new opportunities
the process of network planning and optimization. One of the biggest fallouts of the pandemic is that it
has forced us to rethink how we live. And that includes
Enhancing business operations the idea of advanced technologies to build smart cities
By deploying location analytics and data, telecoms can that can help with better mobility for citizens. As our
also automate several processes that ensure they’re urban ecosystems grow ever larger, challenges like
identifying and communicating their current total population pressure, deforestation, traffic congestion,
addressable market to partners, including location of deteriorating infrastructure, crime and resource crunch
services, product availability and pricing. This can enable will grow as well. But the use of technology has the
companies to get the bottom line out of the way and potential to dramatically improve the systems on which
instead focus on the available information to directly the cities run: whether it is public safety, healthcare
load rate cards andlists, load and add in application systems, public distribution systems, urban planning, or
programming interfaces (APIs) to keep data actionable governance. This is where a plethora of opportunities for
and updated. telecom players will lie. As demand for smart mobility
options such as connected vehicles and electric vehicles
Integrating location data and analytics into day- grow, telecom operators will have to take advantage of
to-day business operations can help companies make new opportunities emerging from the convergence of
their workforce smarter, fasterand efficient. With data location data and the expansive powerful 5G network.
visualization tools such as HD maps, project managers This means being able to empower enterprises with
can identify faults alongwith recurring maintenance tasks wide access to location-powered solutions such as
andoutages, thus speeding up the collaboration process. visual positioning services, 3D positioning algorithms
Rich topographical insights can also help plan upgrades analyzing images and videos in real time that will
of legacy networkensuring the right people can solve demand widespread, higher bandwidth, lower latency,
these challenges. and the connectivity necessary for enabling a more
connected world.
Enabling safer driving
While location intelligence already plays a crucial role in In short, location-based technology holds the key to
ensuring safer driving, throwing in the power of 5G into maximize revenues, enhance the user-experience and
the mix will potentially transform vehicle safety. High- subsequently execute long-term solutions for present
precision maps, advanced edge AI perception and low and future challenges. As we realize the vision of a
latency provided by 5G MEC pave the way for enhanced digitally connected world, telecom companies will have to
road safety and precise localization for navigation. continue thinking in this direction and leverage location-
led innovation to build capacities and capabilities to
For example, a leading global telecom player which shape the industries of future.
is finding ways to make roads safer by making use of
mobile networks, has unlocked capabilities of less than Sengupta is Director & Head – Business,
10 milliseconds response time between base station and India, SAARC region & Southeast Asia,
the location of the server (where mobile data response HERE Technologies
times are usually between 50 to 200 milliseconds). With feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[BROADBAND BYTES]
DIGITAL ECONOMY
TV Ramachandran
Time to look beyond the UPI

For India to become a global digital economy, the
country needs to quickly fix its inadequate and sub-
optimal infrastructure and define stringent data
security measures
I
ndia is the largest and fastest-growing digital economy privacy, and damage. Without online banking, many
in the world. The digital banking space is projected to individuals fall prey to money lenders and loan sharks.
grow with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) Access to a basic financial account is not enough. Many
of 27% during 2020-2025, from transactions worth Rs people lack wider services like savings accounts, loans,
2,153 lakh crore in FY20, to a humungous Rs 7,092 lakh insurance, and more. For these people, it will be easier to
crore in FY25, according to IVCA and EY. The ‘Digital India’ get loans with a digital trail to help banks assess credit
mission is to establish a ‘Faceless, Paperless, Cashless’ risk. Vulnerable demographics like women, persons with
society. We shall not settle for less. disability and the elderly will benefit from not having
to visit a physical bank for each transaction. Digital
It is gratifying to cast a fleeting glance at our remarkable payments can also reduce the cost of financial services
progress and the promising path forward. by as much as 80% to 90%.
Cashless India: An incredible journey so far UPI – Uplifting payments in India

Over 80% of Indians have bank accounts. While not all Unified Payments Interface or UPI is the game changer
of them are actively being used, this is a milestone – a for the great Indian digital revolution. Indian consumers
laudable first step. 42.71 crore bank accounts have been love the convenience of UPI apps. Now, a kirana store
opened just under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ owner, tailor, or maid can get paid in the blink of an eye,
(PMJDY) program. Deposits in these accounts have even during lockdowns and other restrictions.
reached Rs 1.44 lakh crore. Also, the Budget 2021 has
Rs 1,500 crore earmarked to help the digital payments In June 2021 alone, the number of UPI transactions
sector. We are surely moving well. hit 290 crore, which is a record high. According to EY
report, this is 110% higher than the 143 crore transactions
As Indians now appreciate, digital financial inclusion recorded in June 2020. UPI allows one to use our mobile
can ease many a burden. Even the humble vegetable number and smartphone for financial transactions.
vendor realizes it in the country today. India is the third- Earlier, we needed a bank account number, branch, IFSC
largest economy in purchasing power parity and in 2021 code, and other information to make a transfer. With
the cash circulating in our economy has gone up 14.7%! UPI, we have near-instant money transfers. There is
A cashless economy is an excellent engine for economic other factor boosting UPI transactions is the decision by
growth. Moreover, cashless transactions constitute the Centre to eliminate merchant discount rates (MDR)
powerful weapons for the government to fight corruption, on UPI and RuPay since January 2021. MDR is the fee
and theft. Additionally, all recorded and legal transactions paid to banks and payment gateways for commercial
will count and contribute to our GDP. transactions.
Greater penetration of digital banking and mobile Undoubtedly, banking in India is progressing speedily
payments services offers financial security. Stashing towards increased digital payments. Sure, the National
cash at home makes it susceptible to theft, invasion of Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)*99# service is
I I I
[BROADBAND BYTES]
DIGITAL ECONOMY
At Rs 4,856 crore, India has the highest

investment in fintech, more than China’s Rs
2,137 crore. Its fintech market is estimated
to hit Rs 11.25 – 12 lakh crore by 2025.
still available and Indians can make basic transactions of unserved and underserved Indians. The country
using regular mobile phones by dialing it. But low- also needs to speed up the penetration of mobile
cost smartphones will hit the market soon. The 30 banking services to every corner of the country, boost
crore individuals still on a 2G plan and more will flock infrastructure, secure payments, and improve Quality of
towards low-cost smartphones. This demand will give Experience (QoE) for transactions.
the mobile internet and app-based financial services
sector a huge boost. Improved infrastructure
The biggest challenge to achieving a cashless India is
India is Asia’s #1 in fintech investments inadequate and sub-optimal infrastructure. The digital
At Rs 4,856 crore, India has the highest investment in economy can contribute up to 20% or Rs 75 lakh crore of
fintech, according to RBSA Advisors, more than China’s the total economy and create 6.5 crore new jobs. While
Rs 2,137 crore. The Indian fintech market is estimated to broadband penetration is critical to India’s economic
hit Rs 11.25 – 12 lakh crore by 2025. development, only 2.3 crore Indians are wired internet
subscribers. Home internet penetration in India is only
Fintech refers to any new technology designed to 7%. In China, it is 92%. Similarly, only 55 out of every 100
improve and automate the delivery and use of financial people in India have an internet connection. Although
services (Investopedia) and 67% of the 2,100 fintech India has 4G/LTE technology, there is a lack of towers
companies in India were set up in the last five years. and infrastructure in many areas, which leads to poor
India’s most popular digital-only payment gateways are connectivity – especially indoors.
PhonePe, Dhani, BHIM, Axis Pay, PayTM, and Mobikwik.
Many other fintech companies are making their mark. Creating one crore public Wi-Fi hotspots under the
They include Cred, RazorPay, PolicyBazaar, Lendingkart, government’s PM-WANI scheme will offer significant
BankBazaar, and more. Even global payment app giants relief to the digital banking sector. These hotspots will
(known as Tech-Fin) like GooglePay, AmazonPay and be an effective low-cost solution for the common person.
WhatsappPay, have executed on the UPI stack for India. And even though the one crore number is a low target
This proves that the UPI platform is world-class and has for India, it is a good start. Currently, the country has less
robust capability to scale and maintain efficiency (Mozark than 3% of the global average of hotspots per citizen (1
global study using Aquamark tool). Another landmark in hotspot for every 150 residents). The developed world is
the India digital banking space was the RBI’s decision to at an average of one hotspot per 20 people!
allow payments-related data to be stored in the cloud.
Additionally, satellite communications can play
Way forward to a cashless India a significant role in remote areas. Last year, central
Being first means not competing with other countries. government began permitting private players in space-
But India’s race is against internal hurdles that related activities. This step is a giant leap forward
block the country from reaching every citizen. If to getting the internet in the hands of every Indian.
infrastructure, mobile internet services, cybersecurity, Liberalized licensing and regulatory-lite policies will
awareness, and reach across India improve, it can meet boost free-market competition and spread mobile
the growing demand for digital financial services and communication across the country.
spur economic growth.
Ramp up cybersecurity
India needs to step on the accelerator and introduce If we want more Indians to adopt mobile payments, we
digital banking and mobile payments to the millions need to invest in security and trust-building. With more
[BROADBAND BYTES]
DIGITAL ECONOMY
If infrastructure, mobile internet services,

cybersecurity, awareness, and reach across India
improve, it can meet the growing demand for digital
financial services and spur economic growth.
digital payments, the number of transaction failures is transactions fail, or OTPs do not arrive in time, it will be
growing larger. System outages in banks have been hard to persuade others to join the fold.
unable to keep up with the increase in transactions.
Many apps offering payment interfaces to customers The “best effort” mindset of banks and telcos need
are connected to regular bank accounts. So, if banks do to change for India to maintain excellence in quality
not scale up their infrastructure, transaction failures of experience (QoE). For example, a recent Mozark
will continue. quantitative study of top banking apps in India found
the “time to log in” (after entering user details) was high
Only 58 of 2035 fintech organizations in India have with over 25% of transactions taking more than five
cybersecurity measures. CERT-In reported a 1,000% seconds. This number is quite high for the world of apps.
increase in malicious activity related to digital transactions There were similar delays and variances in the “time to
over the last six months. NITI Aayog continues to stress download a statement”. But payment transfers after
the importance of protecting India’s digital financial receiving OTP and entering it, functioned with minimal
system against fraud and security breaches. variance. These results were in line with the percentage
of customer complaints that the RBI receives about these
To help combat crime in the digital payments space, payment apps.
the RBI issued guidelines in February 2021. The rules
include mandates for UPI apps to protect their source Mozark study also showed that the UPI stack did not
code and cybersecurity guidelines against hacks overload the system. But bank app stacks were not fully
and cyberattacks. Banks and payment apps have tested by changing devices and location. These rigorous
six months to comply. However, rigorous testing is tests must be implemented on a wide scale with an
required across the vast array of devices and networks ample sample size. We cannot test a few cases and hope
across the board, to improve security and gain the for the best. The good news is that tools like Aquamark
confidence of more Indians. allow for field tests conducted remotely at a tenth of
the cost. Telcos and the banking sector can use these
Improve quality of experience field testing and monitoring tools to raise their quality
For mobile banking to take off, the digital payment of service with an attitude of zero-tolerance towards
experience must be better than that with cash. Busy errors and failures. Only then will our economy be world
individuals in large cities find digital payments convenient class consistently.
due to better Wi-Fi and wired network connections. The
same convenience will be appreciated in rural areas. It can Time for a new banking license regime
stimulate more businesses and entrepreneurs to expand Neo-banks are fintech players without physical bank
beyond the metros. locations. They exist solely in the digital world. They
offer a more pleasant experience on the front-end than
But even in a mature market for mobile internet a standard banking website. Globally, these neo-banks
like India, if we cannot measure it, we cannot improve have regulatory licenses and have been successful
it. Mobile operators should expand and improve the in attracting customers. Apart from a user-friendly
quality of experience on their networks based on what interface, they also offer customized solutions for
consumers value most. Internet browsing and payment consumers. Think of a PhonePe or GooglePay portal with
transactions use a significant amount of data on mobile friendly icons, navigation, and easier transaction options.
networks. If net banking websites do not load fast, app These neo-banks can be tremendously advantageous to
I I I
[BROADBAND BYTES]
DIGITAL ECONOMY
While broadband penetration is critical to

India’s economic development, only 2.3 crore
Indians are wired internet subscribers. Home
internet penetration in India is only 7%.
Breakup of Categories of Complaints (%)

Others
8%
Authentication and
Transaction Failure
Login Isues
20% 39%
Functional Issues
34%
Source: Mozart analysis of RBI data on mobile banking consumer complaints
small businesses and startups who may not qualify for “Greatness is not in where we stand but in what direction
loans in traditional banks. we are moving.”
In India, these digital-only banks cannot function Our direction is fine. But it is good to accelerate our
on their own since they are not issued licenses and efforts to bring mobile banking to the rest of the millions
must partner with traditional banks. Issuing licenses to of Indians living without it. Our infrastructure needs
digital-only banks can help crore of people convert to urgent improvements. This includes executing PM-
online banking. Digital banks are more cost-effective WANI targets, liberalized Satcom policies for “network
to consumers since they do not have high overhead or anywhere”, stringent cybersecurity protections, and
operating costs. monitoring on-ground quality of experience. Only then
can we truly realize the benefits of a cashless India
Let’s move to the finish line for all.
The Digital India mission is pivotal to our nation’s
success. It is a shining testament to Indian ingenuity.
Ramachandran is Hon. Fellow of IET (London) and
Digital financial freedom and inclusion can uplift crore of
President of Broadband India Forum.
Indians. Online UPI transactions through mobile banking
The views are his personal.
and app-based payments are at an all-time high and
poised to grow even further. But as former US Supreme Research inputs by Chandana Bala and Arun Mukarji.
Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once said, feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[MAKE IN INDIA]
TELECOM EQUIPMENT
Make hay while the sun shines

Can India become the telecom equipment and electronics
manufacturing hub of the next decade? Yes, but only if it makes the
right moves
By Rajesh Mehta & Uddeshya Goel
T
he advent of the pandemic has been a scheme launched by the governmentis one such step
consequential inflection point in the fundamental in this direction.
working of the social system. With the nation
being under lockdown from time to time and over 55% For the telecom equipment and electronics and
people working from home, a lot more time is now market, the PLI schemes are designed to trigger an
spent at home leading to the increased demand for impulse for scale both for Indian companies and
greater comfort and security through smart devices foreign companies who wish to manufacture in India at
and appliances. While the markets of several sectors competitive costs. They are designed to have a domino
got disrupted during the pandemic, the consumer effect creating pools of ancillary firms and services, and
electronics and the telecom market turned out to be a wealth of jobs.
resilient, even with the intermittent closure of physical
providers across the nation. Call for in-house production
In the electronics manufacturing sector, it is astounding
But there is a wedge in the Indian market scenario to know that India has virtually no display and
– despite being one of the largest consumer markets, semiconductor manufacturing units. Displays and
India’s share of global electronics manufacturing has semiconductors are the most expensive parts of phones
been a mere 3.6%, even though domestic manufacturing and televisions and account for anywhere between 25%
grew at a CAGR of 23% over the last five years. This has and 50% of the input cost. Moreover, the global supply
been a consequence of snubbed opportunities in the chain infrastructure of semiconductors has suffered
last decade. When the trade wars began and companies a significant crack which is driving up the prices; in
were exiting China, many turned to ASEAN countries, fact, many estimates suggest that the major microchip
including Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia. However, buyers (auto and consumer electronics industry) are on
India failed to attract such companies, again. The policies the way to lose USD61 billion this year.
that were incorporated by these South Asian countries
in the last decade are finally being introduced in India In India, domestic requirements are being met only
with an indigenous flavour. through imports, and mostly from China and Taiwan.
This is due to the repercussions of the elemental
Today, India has another opportunity and it is policies since the 1990s in India. The Indian industry
paramount to not miss it. Small calibrated steps would still operates at the lower end of manufacturing and
go a longer way than grand gestures. Digitization encourages the world to outsource only its non-core
in India at a mass level, with the lowest broadband activities to India. This is the root cause of a birth of
rates in the world, could captivate MNCs and open up a non-innovative economy and substantiates the fact
millions of manufacturing and services jobs. The PLI that India is still an innovation laggard in the global
One of the factors that is in favour of India becoming a

5G manufacturing powerhouse is the backlash against
Chinese telecom gear makers.
I I I
[MAKE IN INDIA]
TELECOM EQUIPMENT
The current PLI scheme for telecom caps R&D investment at

only 15%, which will only help companies that don’t plan on
indigenous product development.
setting, coming at the 48th position behind China duties. Even if India has the capability to manufacture
(14th) and Vietnam (42nd). printed circuit boards, other critical components such as
diodes, chips and transistors are not made in the country.
The big need now is to focus on indigenizing the This will require building an end-to-end manufacturing
manufacture of parts, rather than just hosting the system with efficient local supply chains to cater to the
cheapest high-quality assembly lines. Building domestic soaring demands.
manufacturing capability will lower import bills and cost
of production and thereby drive demand further. Making The current PLI scheme for telecom caps R&D
these components in-house will also massively improve investment at only 15%, which will only help companies
the country’s net value addition to the overall electronics that don’t plan on indigenous product development of
manufacturing process, which India aims to increase to telecom equipment, and will only lead to assembly. There
35-40% by 2025. is skewness towards contract manufacturers at the cost
of companies who are investing top dollars in R&D to
Slice of 5G pie, and more develop the products. A quick amendment is required to
On the telecom front, the next revolution in the tech liberalize the local innovation infrastructure and unleash
industry is near and the entire globe is eyeing to be future sustainable growth. In addition, a push is needed
the early adopters of the 5G technology. India stands on the annual gross expenditure on R&D from the current
at the center of the 5G hub and can be considered a 0.65% of GDP to the global average of 1.5-3%.
unique market for 5G equipment if we play our cards
well. One of the factors that will favour us in becoming Direct cash incentives through cheap credit and
a 5G manufacturing powerhouse is the backlash against viability gap funding will be of foremost importance
Chinese telecom gear makers. Nearly all the developed to set up new manufacturing units. Emulating China,
and underdeveloped nations are running away from India must also aspire to deliver an effective single-
Chinese manufacturers and barring them in their 5G window clearance system for all approvals that should
development. be provided in a time-bound manner. Ease of doing
business cannot just exist on paper, but also in practice.
If India wants to become the 5G equipment hub, a fair
bit of careful innovation would be required to elevate Rather than continuing to make products in areas
the manufacturing of next-generation radio access where other countries already have the advantage of
networks, internet of things (IoT) devices, customer economies of scale, India must ride the future trends
premises equipment, routers and switches. Another of increased consumer electronics and 5G components
interesting innovation where India could capitalize on demand. Even though India does not have the first-
is e-waste. India is the world’s third largest e-waste mover advantage, the demand in India alone offers the
generator, producing over 3.23 million metric tonnes of opportunity for large-scale production, often a common
e-waste per year. This e-waste can be reengineered to problem in first world countries. The
make 5G equipment in a cost-effective manner. time is now to hit the burning iron.
Another pivot point can be to avoid the asked 26GHz

band in the short term to prevent the pockets of telecom Mehta is a consultant and columnist
working on market entry, innovation
operators from getting burned. Instead, relying on and public policy
existing airwaves and short Wi-Fi airwaves could be the
game-changer for India.
Goel is a financial researcher with specific
There are immense challenges on account of numerous interests in international business
local hurdles, including inadequate infrastructure, the and capital markets
high cost of finance and logistics, and inverted custom feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[COMMENTARY]
MAKE IN INDIA
Democratization of space key to

Aatmanirbhar Bharat
To achieve self-reliance and to increase India’s share in the global
economy, private sector investment is critical for the Indian space sector
By Shivaji Chatterjee
S
cience and technology have played an important to generate revenue of USD1.1 trillion or more in 2040, up
role in India’s rapid growth and development. One of from the current USD350 billion.
the key pillars of this success story is the incredible
progress India has made on the space technology front Given the space policy landscape, the state-owned
led by the path-breaking visionary scientist Dr. Vikram agency has been solely responsible for all space-related
Sarabhai. With his far-reaching vision, he paved the activities and there have been limited opportunities
way for the development of space technologies and its for participation for the private sector. From scientific
applications to cater to various national needs. research projects to deep earth exploration and the
launch and development of satellites, to preparing ground
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has infrastructure for various needs, ISRO has juggled with
also played an important role in the development of India’s multiple responsibilities and with fairly limited resources.
space sector. Over the past years, it has successfully However, the government’s push for Digital India
developed notable indigenous capabilities in space supported by other large scale digitization initiatives has
technology. From design, development of launch vehicles created a strong demand for space-based services in the
to the indigenous development of communications and country that far supersedes the capacity that a public
other satellites and space applications, ISRO has done it funded institution can deliver by itself.
all. Yet India, through ISRO, controls only around 3% of
the overall share in the global space economy. According Today India needs to drastically improve on
to Morgan Stanley, the global space industry is expected building new propulsion technologies, that can not
I I I
[COMMENTARY]
MAKE IN INDIA
Ubiquitous and high-speed satellite connectivity enabled

by high throughput satellites could be the enabler that can
help bridge India’s long-standing digital divide.
only carry higher payloads to meet enhanced national could be in the domain of internet services where Indian
requirements, but also compete against the likes of satellite data services are currently the costliest in the
commercial ventures like SpaceX, who have advanced world. Given that India’s mobile data prices are the
capabilities that can carry much higher payloads and also lowest in the world, it stands to reason similar satellite-
use reusable rocket technology. ISRO can do this, and based services can be more cost-effective allowing for
more, with close collaboration and strategic partnership greater uptake by private and public enterprise and
with the private sector. in-time, even individual consumers. VSAT operators in
India today compete admirably with terrestrial options
There are immense opportunities in the design and despite having a capacity and cost constraints imposed
development of new satellites that suit the requirements by the regulatory framework. In an ecosystem where the
of various agencies as well as foreign customers, where use of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of
space focused Indian startups could contribute with things (IoT), and big data analysis will only increase, the
their talent and skills. Ground stations are yet another role of satellite enabled services to make this possible
important part of the satellite communications ecosystem cannot be underestimated.
– one that the private sector would find an attractive
proposition. Besides, there are avenues of growth in the As per TRAI, the total broadband connections stood
development of software solutions specifically required at 765.09 million, as of February 2021. There were
to leverage and make use of the large-scale data inputs 742.84 million broadband users through mobile phones
from these satellites. and dongles, while 22.26 million were using broadband
through wirelines. Despite the mobile teledensity in
The time to leapfrog India touching 87.26%, people across rural areas are
With the focus on building Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the still deprived of reliable and high-speed broadband
government wants the private sector to be a co-traveler connectivity. Ubiquitous and high-speed satellite
in India’s space journey – an idea that mirrors the policy connectivity enabled by high throughput satellites
interventions that catapulted the growth of India’s could be the enabler that can help bridge India’s long-
telecom sector, opening the doors to the private sector. standing digital divide. The recent COVID-19 pandemic
The opening up of the space economy through the new further highlighted this divide in terms of access to online
space policy is expected to unleash a new dynamism that education, healthcare or even vaccine distribution and
was missing till now. This comes at a time when the space remote access to government systems online.
sector globally is attracting significant investment from
private sector companies like Amazon, SpaceX, Softbank The new space policy has been announced at a time
and OneWeb who are looking to grow the sector and when India looks to build an open and inclusive space
explore opportunities on a global scale. ecosystem. This is bound to pave the path for greater
democratization of space technologies. And, with the
To achieve self-reliance and to increase India’s share private sector all set to embrace the opportunity, there
in the global economy, private sector investment is is no doubt that the country will emerge stronger in
critical for the Indian space sector. Opening the sector for the space and eventually capture a larger slice of the
private players will have a multiplier effect. To begin with, global space economy. However, any further delay in
within a short period of time, simple economic forces will the implementation of the new policy, or slow actions
determine and expand the opportunities that the sector by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization
can provide. Once that is done, investments will begin Center (IN-SPACe) may come with its own bearings
flowing in to help meet the demand for space-based – impacting the aspirations of over a
applications such as satellite-based remote sensing, billion Indians.
weather predictions, data connectivity and many others.
Chatterjee is Head-Enterprise Business,
More competition will bring in more investments Hughes Communications India
and lower the cost of services. A key example of this feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[NEWS ANALYSIS]
SMARTPHONE
Handset manufacturers back telcos

across spectrum bands
Telcos in India have spectrum from 2G to 4G. By using Dynamic
Spectrum Sharing, these bands can find use in deploying 5G NSA and
SA, and for faster deployment.
By Hemant Kashyap
S
martphone makers like OnePlus and Realme India’s 5G spectrum situation
have announced that they will be launching Telcos in India have spectrum from 2G to 4G. By using
smartphones in India with relevant 5G band Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, these bands can find use in
support. The makers said that launching devices deploying 5G NSA and SA, and for faster deployment.
with global 5G band support will increase the prices Telecom service providers in India want original
for consumers. equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to support all existing
bands, along with the new 5G bands. Recently, telcos had
Navnit Nakra, VP and Chief Strategy Officer, OnePlus urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to
India, said, “5G bands on 8 and 9 series have been bring uniform guidelines to develop 5G ecosystem to
decided based on Indian priority. N78 band is emerging ensure that any new 5G smartphone launched in India is
as the priority band in India. The 5G message is very able to support all bands, including mmWave spectrum.
strong. Users will enjoy 5G in India and globally. Our
intent for the Indian market is to provide 5G band Reflecting on the development, Tarun Pathak,
support across the product line”. Research Director, Counterpoint said, “If they (telcos)
launch 5G on these bands, devices should be there
He also said that N78 will become one of the most to support these bands. The chipsets are already
used bands globally; research also shows that the supporting most of these bands and it’s up to the OEMs
majority of commercial 5G network will rely largely on to provide the band support. Adding these bands makes
the mid-band spectrum. This spectrum band balances RF more complex and adds to bill of material (BoM).” He
coverage and speed, therefore forming the base of also said that adding mmWave band will add more to
majority of the networks. the BoM. Therefore, smartphone makers should limit
band support to premium devices.
Madhav Sheth, CEO, Realme India, said that the
brand will ensure C-band support, including N77 and As per Counterpoint, India may have an installed
N78 across its 5G portfolio along with various other base of 30-40 million of 5G smartphones by the time
5G bands. “Across various price categories, we have the first commercial network goes live in the country.
support for multiple 5G bands, starting from our most Pathak said that this is the first time device ecosystem
affordable 5G smartphone. Realme 8 5G supports up to is preceding network development at this big of a gap.
five 5G bands which are already more than what many
5G flagships in this country provide,” he said. For now, 5G trials are on across the country – while
Reliance Jio has a trial network running its own 5G RAN
The N77 and N78 bands, operating within the mid- and core, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea are partnering
band frequency range, will take 5G in India to masses, with European vendors Ericsson, Nokia and Korean
Realme said. The smartphone maker also said that giant Samsung.
these bands allow smartphones in the Rs 10,000
price point. hemantka@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
[NEWS ANALYSIS]
5G SPECTRUM
TRAI unlikely to revise spectrum

base price
While the industry has been demanding lower floor price, TRAI’s
decision to hold its fort may delay the launch of commercial 5G
services in India
By Hemant Kashyap
I
ndia’s dream for an early 5G roll out may be in for some been demanding a cut in the base price of 3.3-3.6 GHz
stormy weather with the telecom service providers band which was set up at Rs 492 crore per MHz by TRAI
and the regulator – Telecom Regulatory Authority in 2018. What’s more, the DoT had said that the unsold
of India (TRAI) – not seeing eye to eye on the reserve 700 MHz spectrum will once again be on sale in the 5G
price of spectrum in the mid-band earmarked for the spectrum auction, along with the earmarked band.
new standard.
However, in March this year, the coveted 700 MHz
According to reports, the regulatory authority is spectrum band did not find any buyer. At Rs 6,568 crore
unlikely to change the existing reserve price of spectrum, per unit, the band still remains a pipe dream for the
a decision that may translate again in low turnout at the telcos. In fact, none of the telecom operators bought the
5G spectrum auction. It may, however, consider newer band during the spectrum auction in March with Bharti
bands such as the millimeter wave (mmWave) band Airtel specifically pointing out that the band did not
with a reasonable price to drive economic benefits. have any economic case for operators. Even, Reliance
Jio and Vodafone Idea remained wary during the sale.
Reports also indicated that TRAI might put at least
1 GHz of spectrum on sale, allowing telcos to drive TRAI, however, believes that the price is justified and
countrywide 5G deployment. The sector regulator has that the band remained untested. In 2019, it scuttled the
already been busy conducting in-house studies to arrive DoT move to cut 5G airwaves pricing, and categorically
at a suitable base price and quantum for the spectrum. said: “The authority reiterates the spectrum valuation
and reserve prices as contained in its recommendations
Telcos led by the Cellular Operators Association dated 1st August 2018.”
(COAI) have been asking the Department of
Telecommunications (DoT) to seek reserve prices from Interestingly, DoT has allocated spectrum in not only
TRAI for multiple frequencies. These bands, being used the mid-band, but the 700 MHz and mmWave band
for field 5G trials, including mmWave band, will form the too. The DoT wants the telcos to develop India-relevant
core of the network. Reports indicate that at least the use cases for this band. The telcos had also called this
industry’s demand of a larger chunk of spectrum may a moot point, since there were no guarantees that the
be fulfilled. government will make these bands available.
The industry has been aiming to offer enterprise The situation remains unclear, though. If the
solutions around internet of things (IoT), artificial government sticks to its spectrum price, 5G will not just
intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and Industry come later to India, but it will also come at a much higher
4.0 applications. price. Without a proper spectrum portfolio, telcos can’t
deploy affordable and nationwide 5G.
What is there for India’s 5G rollout?
Telcos, particularly Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, have hemantka@cybermedia.co.in
[TECHNOLOGY]
NETWORKING
Getting ready for esports

With cloud networking, companies can make instant and dedicated
connections to public clouds and data centres, to reduce latency
during peak hours for gamers
By Amit Singh
E
sports and online multi-player games have exploded Furthermore, companies are pouring marketing funds
in popularity in the last decade. This industry is into Esports through sponsorships and advertising. The
growing particularly fast in emerging markets global Esports market valued at USD950 million in 2020
such as Southeast Asia, India, and Brazil, where internet may grow to USD1.6 billion by 2023. During the COVID-19
user growth is much higher than Western countries. In pandemic, companies are expediting the process to
North America, internet users have grown 125% from provide high-performance online games and high-quality
2010 to 2020. In contrast, internet users in Asia have virtual Esports tournaments across the world.
grown 305% during the same period. Tournament live
streams are also creating massive audiences cheering for This massive expansion has created IT challenges
their favourite teams. that need to be addressed to continue supporting
growth. One of them is that multi-player games such as
According to Newzoo, Esports viewers topped 495 Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends frequently push
million in 2020 and may reach 646 million by 2023. for mandatory updates. Also, players are required to
Deploying edge cloud services can significantly improve the

experience for gamers. Enterprises can instantly enhance their
digital experience by creating a private network on demand.
I I I
[TECHNOLOGY]
NETWORKING
Content Delivery Network or Global Intelligent Accelerator can

be used to distribute gaming content from one point of origin
to servers located near the users.
update their video game before they start playing, unlike tournaments are being hosted. Moreover, demand will
smartphone or app updates. This is for several good continue to grow beyond the pandemic since more casual
reasons: sometimes game-breaking bugs are discovered players are signing up to play online tournaments. Thus,
and exploited to give players an unfair advantage. low latency is essential for the future of Esports.
Additionally, new maps, characters, or seasons are
introduced to the game with added storylines or weapons, Technologies to overcome challenges
thus forcing players to update before they start playing. On the infrastructure level, a globally distributed, full-
mesh, and high-performing network backbone is critical.
The problem is particularly with data-intensive games Even if you are on a public cloud already, you may want to
where updates can easily reach 100GB. Imagine you come consider a hybrid model to improve network performance
home after a long day of work. And then look forward to a and enhance the control of your infrastructure, especially
relaxing evening playing video games with your friends, in far-reaching markets such as China, India, Southeast
only to discover that your system needs to perform an Asia, and South America.
update that takes six hours to complete! All this creates
a negative user experience. Slow updates are also On the platform level, deploying edge cloud services
undesirable from the perspective of game developers as can significantly improve the experience for gamers
they lock out all users when pushing an update. So, the across borders. Enterprises can instantly enhance the
number of players who can play after an update release is digital experience for their users by creating a private
limited, which also dependson the download speed of the network on demand.
servers at the developer’s end.
Through cloud networking, companies can make
It is important to note that most online multi-player instant and dedicated connections to public clouds and
games are developed in the US and Asia but are played data centres. A reliable network can help reduce latency
by users worldwide. Out of the current 10 most popular and jitters during peak hours for gamers. When they try to
online games, eight are developed in California and are access content, intelligent routing can direct their request
immensely popular in Asia. For example, the highest- to the nearest server. Companies can also improve the
ranked players, based on tournament earnings for League experiences of gamers spread across the globe by using
of Legends and StarCraft II are from South Korea. In fact, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) or Global Intelligent
Esports is so popular in Asia that it will be a part of the Accelerator (GIA) to distribute content from one point of
multi-sport event of the 2022 Asian Games. As gamers origin to servers located near the users.
seek fast download speeds to maintain instant access to
their favourite platforms, developers cannot just focus Another measure that game developers can take is
on the domestic market. They need to widen their scope optimising updates for areas with high demand, such
to reliably deliver content to emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and South America. This can enable
as Southeast Asia, South America, the Middle East, all gamers to have their updates at roughly the same
and Africa. time. This technology also reduces the peak load on
main servers, creating a more reliable update delivery
Yet another challenge with global live tournaments network and minimising server downtime issues. Such
is delivering content with extra low latency, far below the benefits make edge cloud services like cloud networking,
human cognitive level. Since Esports tournaments are live CDN, and GIA the most optimum solutions for Esports
games, all player actions must occur simultaneously. The as well as online gaming companies
initial solution was to host Esports live and have all players with IT challenges that are looking to
travel to this location, thus allowing developers to create operate globally.
a local network with the lowest possible ‘ping’. However,
the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this model since Singh is Managing Director, Zenlayer India
large gatherings are not allowed. As a result, online feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[TECHNOLOGY]
NETWORKING
End of the router as we know it

The changing nature of internet services and applications are driving
manufacturers to develop better and cost-effective router systems
By Hannes Gredler
S
ince its beginning in the 1980s, network routers still support a buffer depth of over 100 ms for 100 Gbps
have evolved significantly. The greatest leap in switching. A simple calculation shows that 1.25 GB
development was observed when the World Wide DDR4-RAM is required for every 100 GBit/s port in a
Web was introduced. Network providers were suddenly given router.
faced with the challenge of having to keep up with the
rapid introduction of internet services and the demand Exactly this DDR4 RAM, sometimes the most
for bandwidth-intensive applications. In order to meet the expensive form of RAM, makes the buffer the biggest cost
demand, they invested enormous amounts in networks, driver for today’s router hardware. Not only is it needed
which they had great difficulty in refinancing. They asked for a function that rarely works with today’s internet
network equipment manufacturers to help them build backbone usage patterns. At the same time, it must be
value-added services, which in the years that followed implemented as off-chip memory, which increases the
led to a flood of new features that are now available for cost of external I/O, power consumption, and cooling.
almost every router.
Hardware-forwarding tables
Critics argue that by adding new features but not The second-largest cost factor for a router’s data level
removing obsolete ones, the cost of the routers has risen is the size of its forwarding table. Modern hardware can
so much that they are no longer in proportion to the actual store approximately two million forwarding entries in its
benefits. James Hamilton, VP and Distinguished Engineer IPv4, IPv6 and MPLS forwarding tables. The design of
at Amazon Web Services expressed this observation as this forwarding engine is based on two basic ideas.
follows: “The network is anti-Moore.” In this context, here
are some functions that have become redundant in the n One, a single forwarding entry can have a high data
course of the current technical developments. consumption. In fact, a single prefix can take up the entire
bandwidth of a connection. This is still relevant today as
Hardware-buffer content delivery networks and Web 2.0 companies direct
In their Paper Sizing Router Buffers (2004), researchers a large part of their Internet traffic to just a few IP prefixes.
at Stanford University describe their observation that
buffers with a depth of up to 2000 ms are clearly n Two, all forwarding entries can carry the full
suitable for services with low bandwidth and data connection bandwidth. This no longer applies today.
stream diversity. But at speeds of 10 GBit per second and Traffic per prefix on the internet has increased
diversity of up to 10 million data streams, the advantages exponentially, which means that the chip design for data
of buffering become extremely doubtful with a typical forwarding has to be radically revised. Instead of treating
internet backbone connection. each IP forwarding entry equally, a memory cache
hierarchy is much more practical. This is comparable to
The benefit is also questioned by the fact that there today’s computer designs: a tiered memory hierarchy
is no signalling to the Transmission Control Protocol with different levels of memory, each with different
(TCP) layer during “buffering”. Most routers, however, speeds, with adequate costs.
Traffic per prefix on the internet has increased

exponentially, which means that the chip design for
data forwarding has to be radically revised.
I I I
[TECHNOLOGY]
NETWORKING
To ensure that functions can be added and removed

smoothly, the code should be structured in a way that it
can be put together from individual blocks of code.
Modern IP routers still work at only one storage level, The solution = Disaggregated Systems + Distrib-
on the assumption that every forwarding entry must be uted SDNs + Modular Code
fast. However, if you take a closer look at the analysis of The first step in the right direction is the disaggregation
the real backbone traffic data it is no longer the case. In of hardware and software. This allows network operators
fact, the forwarding tables for contemporary practical use to choose between different bare metal switches and
are now 10 times oversized. validated network software for them, and to take
advantage of the latest chip generations and thereby
The good news is that the hardware can be easily strengthen their innovation potential. However, this
optimized. Customers only need to clearly formulate means that the responsibility for function management
what is usually required so that the next generation lies entirely with the network operators. A distributed
of forwarding hardware can be adapted accordingly. software-defined network (SDN) offers the ideal
Network software, on the other hand, is a very special conditions for this. It combines the advantages of an SDN
kind of problem. with the advantages of a distributed control level and
thus enables smooth management of the software.
Software features
It is difficult to say which software functions are actually To ensure that functions can be added and removed
redundant and which are not, since these depend on the smoothly, the code should be structured in such a
individual needs of the telecommunications company. way that it can be put together from individual blocks
Over time, manufacturers have developed a wide range of of code. These should be able to be supplemented or
features at the request of network operators and inserted taken out again as desired, whereby there should be no
them directly into the code. However, this procedure interdependencies between the blocks. An “internet-
makes it impossible to deactivate certain functions after native” approach can help here. Independent micro
implementation. This can quickly become a cost factor services are used, which are carried out in containers. If
as network operators have to pay for these features even a new function or an update is required, a corresponding
when they are not being used. At the same time, when container is supplied by the software developer, which
a new function is introduced, interference tests must be updates or adds the respective feature within milliseconds
carried out every time for all existing functions – even for and without interrupting the service. In this way, route
those that are not required. processing, updating, and restarting are 20 times faster
than with conventional router operating systems. If open
The background to this is that the software for the interfaces are also available, network operators can even
router was previously programmed as a monolithic develop and implement their own functions.
system, whereby new functions were closely linked to the
underlying infrastructure. The removal of such functions Traditional routers and dynamic control systems are
from the code base can be as complex as their original challenged by new concepts such as disaggregation
development. At the same time, the hurdle for a functional and distributed SDNs. These promise significantly
expansion increases with each new feature. faster implementation, automated control, and a
shorter time to market. In order for future router
In today’s highly competitive telecommunications designs to meet these challenges, fundamentally new
market, however, service providers rely on their systems router hardware and software must be developed, and
being agile, easy to maintain, and tailored to their needs modern software architectures and
and those of their customers. Accordingly, router system paradigms introduced.
manufacturers have to develop a new, more cost-
effective approach that enables network operators to
flexibly and smoothly manage, update and, if necessary, Gredler is Founder and CTO of RtBrick
remove functions. feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[INTERVIEW]
JUNIPER NETWORKS
Pankaj Kitchlu
Systems Engineering Director, India & SAARC,
Juniper Networks
I I I
[INTERVIEW]
JUNIPER NETWORKS
“India is transforming into

a wireless-first nation”
Juniper Networks is one of the largest networking The ongoing digital revolution has certainly seen
solutions providers across the world, with over 9,000 digital adoption at an unprecedented level. Do you
employees in 70 countries. Founded in 1996, the company see the momentum continuing in the near future?
excels in networking hardware and software solutions for The digital revolution is here to stay and platforms,
enterprises. As Juniper Networks Systems Engineering which are innovative and create unique experiences,
Director for India and SAARC, Pankaj Kitchlu handles will come out on top. Some of the key factors that will
the company’s telecom service business in the region. A fuel mass digital adoption include the edge cloud, AI
man with rich industry experience – having previously and 5G.
worked with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications
– he talks with Hemant Kashyap about the recent These technologies will help fuel digital adoption
developments in telecom and networking sector and how amongst companies that will heavily rely on real-
it is shaping the future of connectivity. Excerpts: time analytics and always-on connectivity. In terms of
industries that will embrace this change are organizations
We have seen great digital adoption across the in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation and
board from every kind of industry over the past 2-3 other critical industries that will all be at center of this
years. What do you think has driven the change? digital revolution.
Digital adoption will only continue to grow as industry
players introduce more natural ways for people to We will also see more companies introducing
interact with technology through sensory inputs such application that offer advanced features to provide
as touch, speech and gestures. This first started with superior user experiences. For example, now we are
the widespread adoption of touch-based smart devices. seeing the rise of telehealth services giving patients
Then, it led to an increase in demand for ubiquitous the convenience to seek medical care from the comfort
wireless connectivity and need to access applications in of their own home. Technologies such as augmented
the edge and cloud. reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have the potential to
transform several industries including retail, e-commerce
This transformative shift has resulted in the and civil engineering.
staggering need for businesses to stay constantly
connected and digitize processes and operations. How well has Indian industry coped with the
The pandemic has contributed more conversations pandemic? Was there anything you would have
around digital transformation strategies in boardrooms. done differently?
However, it has also brought to light the importance of India, in particular its IT services industry, has remained
quality user experiences. Looking ahead, the industry resilient and continues to grow both domestically and
will need to shift its focus towards delivering superior globally. This resilience has helped to mitigate the impact
user experiences. User experience should be seen as the of the pandemic. For example, early adopters of digital
single most important metric for measuring a successful platforms in India have managed to remain stable and are
IT infrastructure. now experiencing growth.
[INTERVIEW]
JUNIPER NETWORKS
This transformative shift has resulted in the

staggering need for businesses to stay constantly
connected and digitize processes and operations.
The pandemic has also brought the spotlight on the introducing Service and Session Continuity (SSC) allows
importance of disaster recovery sites to safeguard business Make-Before-Break connectivity.
continuity, especially with the industry-wide supply chain
constraints. In addition, organizations now understand Edge cloud on the telco premise would make sense
the need to build resilient network architectures that can for enhanced broadband use cases like entertainment,
mitigate disruptions, while provisioning for sudden spikes gaming, retail and logistics. Another slice of the edge
in network traffic and bandwidth demands. cloud might move into the enterprise space where low
latency and real time nature are key priorities for the
Furthermore, India is transforming into a wireless manufacturing, healthcare and finance sectors. A hybrid
first nation with demand for connectivity reaching edge makes sense when you must balance both mass and
an all-time high. As such, more investments need to low latency in the energy and automotive industry.
be made into the country’s fibre networks to keep up
with the demand. With 5G on the horizon, there will In today’s landscape of omnipresent threats, security
be potential to introduce both B2C and B2B use cases; needs to remain top of mind. Enterprises should focus
fibre networks will play a significant role in the success on moving from detection to enforcement without
of the rollout. any manual intervention. Real-time cyber attacks are
very much a reality today. Therefore, it is crucial that
Cloud and Edge Computing is fast becoming the all touchpoints are secure to ensure uninterrupted and
priority of network operators. How important do seamless operations.
you think edge computing is to telecom service
providers and other network operators? 5G is fast becoming the network of choice for many
Edge computing is increasingly viewed by service Industry 4.0 applications. What are some of the
providers from a quality of experience lens. With latency crucial enterprise-level use cases for 5G?
going down from hundreds of milliseconds to less than The adoption of 5G can be seen as the first generation
ten milliseconds, round-trip delays will be significantly for enterprises, and the fifth generation for consumers.
reduced or even eliminated. This will bring the possibilities This is because in the past three decades, majority of
of the edge cloud even closer for enterprises to execute in developments in next-generation networks were focused
the market. on consumer use cases. However, this will shift due to the
focus on Industry 4.0.
For example, applications that need instant feedback
to facilitate quick decision-making will rise in prominence. More and more enterprises are becoming open to
Use cases include automobile manufacturers introducing the adoption of 5G technology. This will result in a wave
autonomous cars, as well as healthcare institutions of innovative and advanced Industry 4.0 use cases
exploring the use of robotic-assisted surgery tools. pioneered by enterprises. Furthermore, two other factors
Essentially, edge computing offers enterprises the that will fuel this mass adoption is the shift towards edge
opportunity to introduce cutting-edge services and cloud computing and AI. Both of these will work in hand
solutions to stay ahead of the curve. in hand with 5G to make the enterprise transformation
journey simpler.
Another key technology change making this possible
is the separation of mobile User Plane Function (UPF), We are witnessing early adopters changing their
which can now be located now on the edge cloud within architecture needs based on business model offerings.
the enterprise or on private on-premises edge. Native Furthermore, the readiness of enterprises to adopt 5G to
support for edge computing and flexible UPF placement, refine their offerings, as well as country level initiatives by
I I I
[INTERVIEW]
JUNIPER NETWORKS
In the past three decades, majority of developments in

next-gen networks were focused on consumer use cases.
However, this will shift due to the focus on Industry 4.0.
the government and regulators are factors that will drive see IoT-powered enterprises in the near future?
5G investments. IoT has always been present, but what will change in the
next generation is an ecosystem of smart devices and
What will remain consistent is the basic need to sensors equipped with edge computing. IoT-powered
deliver connectivity for organizations sectors like enterprises regardless of vertical can now grow and
logistics, sports, entertainment, tourism, retail and other developing a services mix, which they can offer more
sectors that are driven by consumer demand. Same is broadly. Furthermore, the cost and strong business use
the case with manufacturing, robotics, automotive, cases of IoT will drive growth of IoT in India.
mining, ports, and verticals that depend on low latency
to streamline productivity and efficiency, and sectors In addition, with the massive influx of data from
like healthcare, Fintech, and other industries that are sensors and devices, enforcing security policies across
time sensitive and require precision. Connectivity is every point of connection could be a starting point for
also critical for smart cities, utilities, public safety, enterprises to think about creating smaller cyber attack
transport, and mission critical industries. surfaces. Juniper Connected Security for example unifies
all network elements into a threat-aware network.
So far, India has focused on improving existing
networks than working on rolling out 5G. Do you What does the next generation of connectivity hold
believe that is the right call? for Juniper Networks?
India is still focused on getting the 4G experience right, At Juniper, we remain committed to executing on our
and in the last two years, service providers have been Experience-First Networking strategy and leading the
focused on setting quality of experience standards instead industry in delivering the best possible experience for
of mass network rollouts. That said, data consumption both network operators.
in India has reached an all-time high and continues to
grow, which also means that a 5G rollout will be crucial in We have a clear strategy for next decade of
meeting demands. networking and are now focused on three aspects:
AI-driven enterprise, cloud-ready datacenter, and
The solution to this challenge can be found in planning automated WAN. We continue to build on our wired
ahead and having a long-term vision of how 5G work and wireless access leadership. This year we introduced
will work and what are its benefits. To achieve this, a Juniper Session Smart SD-WAN driven by Mist AI,
significant amount of investment needs to go towards the which will enrich user experiences across the WAN with
metro, aggregation & access to upgrade from 10/100G to insight, automation, and action. On the datacenter front,
400G port connectivity. with a truly best-in-class automation solution in Apstra,
we will bring self-driving networking for customers
What this also means is that a lot of time and resources across all segments – enterprise, service provider and
need to go towards developing this transport layer to be cloud provider.
ready for 5G on day one. In this way, service providers can
start looking at developing architecture for the network We are also focusing on 400G inflection, metro and
of the next decade to meet the demands of future growth access networking, and automation for a superior service
and experience a more seamless transformational journey experience. In particular, our Paragon Automation suite
down the road. provides end users with an assured service experience
throughout the life of their service.
IoT, especially NB-IoT, has been gaining traction for
the past few years. With 5G on the horizon, do you hemantka@cybermedia.co.in
https://shorturl.at/giDE3
[COMMENTARY]
SATTELITE BROADBAND
Let us talk about the price point

LEO, MEO, ICO, or GSO satellites? The government needs to take a serious
look at how effective any of these could be for India before saying yes
By Brijendra K Syngal
T
here is so much of print media space being So is this a case of creating Netflix addiction to create
occupied with various satellite companies vying demand?
for the burgeoning data hungry market in India
knocking away at the doors of Sanchar Bhawan that Geosynchronous Satellite Orbit (GSO) can carry far
tall building in the centre of Delhi, and custodians of more powerful signals than needed for Netflix. As the
anything telecommunication. The tagline of all is fast story unfolds about the real efficacy of these systems, and
speed broadband, without ever mentioning or defining price points well beyond the pockets of ordinary Indians, it
fast broadband, that moving forward how it will gel with appears much ado about nothing. The past record of these
Aatamnirbharta (self-reliance). systems has not been that great. At the best they can
be described as hobbies of the promoters, like building
These projects some three of them, and of course the Meccano sets.
ubiquitous, tried and tested old horse of geosynchronous
satellites, which barring latency for certain applications is Unless questions like real capacities, audience they
ideally suited in terms of throughputs, capacity and deploy can address simultaneously, and the applicability in our
ability. They are being bandied around as the saviour of environment is asked, the systems are pure simple glitzy,
broadband internet connectivity; anytime and anywhere pipe dreams. Let the price points be produced in terms of
to watch Netflix inside, say Atal Tunnel in the hills, in the tariff per bit/byte.
name of low latency that it offers.
I am not against induction of technology, having lived
What has low latency to do with Netflix, one might ask? with cutting edge technology since the early sixties. In
This is quite akin to the Pepsi way of hyping their drink. the mid-eighties I had my first encounter with Low Erath
PepsiCo had envisioned marketing Frito-Lay snacks Satellite (LEO) system christened Iridium on the basis of
alongside Pepsi-Cola soft drinks. In an interview with the atomic number of the metal involving 77 satellites,
Forbes in 1968, PepsiCo CEO Donald Kendall summarized which subsequently got reduced to 66, but the name
this by noting that “Potato chips make you thirsty; Pepsi stuck on. This US-promoted system raised some billions
satisfies thirst.” His plans of jointly promoting the soft of dollars, finally going up in smoke and chapter 11, the
drink and snack products were thwarted later that year, saviour of all. Each satellite can have four inter-satellite
when the Federal Trade Commission ruled against it. links: one each to neighbours fore and aft in the same
I I I
[COMMENTARY]
SATTELITE BROADBAND
Project Loon began as a research and development project

by X (formerly Google X) in 2011. In January 2021, it was
announced that the company would be shut down.
orbital plane, and one each to satellites in neighbouring January 2021, it was announced that the company would
planes to either side. The total setup cost for the first- be shut down.
generation fleet was approximately USD5 billion.[The
first test telephone call was made over the network in India invested some USD700 million – by a
1998 (11 years), and full global coverage was complete consortium led by IL&FS and SBI as the anchor promoter,
by 2002. And even though the system met its technical and USD150 million of VSNL money respectively on
requirements, it was not a success in the market. these two systems in 1990s. Their ground stations are
mothballed at Dighi near Pune and Chattarpur in Delhi.
Insufficient market demand existed for the product at The main reasons for the failure were inordinate delays
the price points on offer from Iridium as set by its parent from concept to commissioning, unrealistic tariffs at
company Motorola. The company failed to earn revenue USD8 per minute and addressable audience of few
sufficient to service the debt associated with building million or so. In the meantime the GSM swept the world
out the constellation and Iridium went bankrupt, one of with Tsunami-like force, further eroding the applications,
the largest bankruptcies in the history of United States utility, and viability. The capacities on offer were not
at the time. much to write home about.
This was followed by 288 satellite system of Teledesic OneWeb, too, has come out of chapter 11, rescued
that gained early funding from Microsoft Chairman Bill by the Government of the United Kingdom and Sunil
Gates, McCaw Cellular Communications founder Craig Bharti Mittal. Let us come to the central point: are these
McCaw, and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The system systems really capable of delivering or are they taking for
would have used Ka band to send and receive signals from a ride our gullible system built more on public perception
users. Each satellite would have acted as a node in a large- than merits, supported by hard numbers? What more
scale packet-switching network. The service was planned are they promising, except broadband for all and Netflix
to begin in 2002 with a total cost of the project estimated inside Atal Tunnel?
at USD9 billion.
A quick look at the details of the three companies
The initial rollout was to include 12 orbit planes with 24 engaged in satellite-based internet projects reveals that
spacecraft in each plane. The antenna footprint for each Telesat is the most efficient system in terms of average
satellite was to be about 700 km. Teledesic planned 288 Gbps/satellite, with more than 4x SpaceX and 10x
satellites in 12 low earth orbits, each at an altitude of 1,315 OneWeb. It is also important to note that the limiting factor
km, but the project was still born after some USD10 billion for SpaceX is the ground segment, as they need to deploy
was proposed to be spent (1997-2002). This was followed a very large number of ground stations and gateways to
by two Intermediate Circular Orbit (ICO) satellites (1995- operate at full power. For OneWeb, the space segment will
2003), and Globalstar. ICO after raising USD6-7 billion prove to be the limiting factor (user links data-rate).
dollars died. Globalstar survives. Iridium too survived
after chapter 11, when sold for USD66 million. And there So what is this tall talk of broadband for all? Either one
were others collapsing at the drawing board level. must revise the broadband definition or ask how they
propose to service some millions of Indians, data hungry
Yet another one to collapse was Project Loon of Loon aspirants. Elon Musk the Starlink promoter has himself
LLC, an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary working on providing admitted that the system is designed to meet 19 million
internet access to rural and remote areas. The company unconnected in US, with such a huge investment. For him
used high-altitude balloons in the stratosphere at an this is self-fulfilling, self-promoting venture, but how does
altitude of 18 km to 25 km to create an aerial wireless he intend to address the market in India and that too at
network with up to 1 Mbit/s speeds. A reference to the unexpectedly exorbitant price points, to recover his costs?
balloons used, Project Loon began as a research and
development project by X (formerly Google X) in 2011, but OneWeb appears no better placed than Starlink. Yet on
later spun out into a separate company in July 2018. In the horizon is Jeff Bezos promoted Kuiper. Here are some
[COMMENTARY]
SATTELITE BROADBAND
The limiting factor for SpaceX is the ground segment,

as they need to deploy a very large number of ground
stations and gateways to operate at full power.
The Satellite Broadband Stats

Telesat OneWeb SpaceX
No. of satellites 117 720 4,425
Max FWD capacity 2.66Tbps 1.56Tbps 23.7Tbps
Min ground locations 42 71 123
No. of ground antennae for max FWD capacity 221 725 ~3,500
Required number of gateways per ground station 5-6 11 30 –
Average data-rate per satellite (real) 22.74Gbps 2.17Gbps 5.36Gbps
Max data-rate per satellite 38.68 9.97 21.36 Gbps
Satellite efficiency 58.80% 21.70% 25.10%
No. of customers per satellite at 50 mbps 5000 450 1100
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the 69th International Astronautical Congress, Bremen, Germany. 1 October 2018
Note: Approximate umbers. The numbers might increase based on the statistical data of user pattern
conclusions with hard numbers. arise: what actions must the government take or what
• OneWeb: 1.56 Tbps with 71 ground stations should it ask these ventures to do before they are allowed
(720 satellites) to enter the data hungry, price sensitive market in India.
• Telesat: 2.66 Tbps with 40 ground stations
(117 satellites) From the above description one does not feel convinced
• SpaceX: 23.7 Tbps with 123 ground stations whether they can fulfil their tall talk of internet for all and
(4,425 satellites) that too at USD99 a month, and entry fee of USD499.00
(Starlink). It would be the same story as in the cases of
The most effective system in terms of Gbps/satellite Iridium et al. Even if that is given, how many customers
is Telesat (22.7 Gbps/sat), thanks to the low number realistically would they be able to address. Let us talk
of high capacity satellites, low elevation angles to user numbers, with price points
links, use of ISL and digital payloads, and use of two
active gateway antennas. SpaceX constellation, on They must apply for all clearances in the same
the other hand will require an extremely large ground format as applied for in their backyards, like FCC, OfCom
segment with hundreds of ground stations and ~3,500 and various other European regulators, and complete
gateway antennas to operate at maximum throughput. transparency in setting up adequate number of gateways
OneWeb’s constellation could significantly reduce their with state of the Legal Intercept Mechanism on the basis
ground segment if they had used inter-satellite links of CALEA law in US, and European laws, at their expense.
(even at moderate data-rates ~5 Gbps). Let them not look at any government funding.
The western world model is simply based on The government would be well advised to take all
creating hype, lure into creating a third party interest, actions for compliance before they generate third party
seek investments worldwide, and eventually use their interest a la Twitter, Facebook, and Google, etc. How
technology prowess to benefit and deliver. Where would all does all this match with local manufacturing of customer
these figure in terms of self-reliance, our NDPC 2018 policy premises equipment, ground stations and
of broadband for all and USD100 billion investments? These satellites?
are tough questions that must be asked and addressed with
hard numbers, not whistling in the winds. Syngal, a former CMD of VSNL, is presently
Senior Principal with Dua Consulting
Be that as it may, and as foretold above, the questions feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
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[COMMENTARY]
BROADBAND
Together we can go digital

Despite a massive shift towards everything digital, rural India still
remains largely unconnected. It’s time for all stakeholders, including
the government to act
By V Sridhar
T
he anniversary of the signing of the first International theme for 2021 was “accelerating digital transformation
Telegraph Convention and the creation of the in challenging times”. In his message on the day, the ITU
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on Secretary General Houlin Zhao indicated that agency
17 May is celebrated as the World Telecommunication would use the occasion to unite the world in pursuit of
and Information Society Day (WTISD) every year, and the digital transformation in every field of business and all
Telcos, the backbone of digital transformation, have

been hit hard due to excessive regulatory burden and
intense competition from the internet firms.
I I I
[COMMENTARY]
BROADBAND
There is a shift of about 35% profit from telcos to internet

companies. India continues to fare poorly in terms of
regulatory levies and supply of radio spectrum.
aspects of life. He also released an advocacy toolkit for volume of 20 billion with a value of about USD one trillion
enabling the same. processed by PayPal, which is one of the largest payment
services in the US. The Aadhaar authentications have
It is in this context that we need to salute the digital reached a record rate of 47 million on 22 June, indicating
platform startups. These companies have made our daily the extent of adoption of Aadhaar authenticated services.
lives much easier, especially during the pandemic. Today,
these start-ups deliver food to our doorsteps, offer home- While all the above are taking place around us, there are
based teleconsulting to address our health concerns, also concerns about these digital initiatives not reaching
provide over-the-top (OTT) entertainment to tide over everyone. In fact, those in rural areas are not able to reap
these depressing periods, and deliver digital education benefit of this digital transformation due to poor internet
to millions when physical schools and colleges are under connectivity. There have also been concerns about
lockdown. These companies have also enabled us to work the reliability and robustness of these digital services,
from home (WFH), and more, to eventually protect our especially during times of crisis. As per ITU, reliable high-
health and safety. speed internet access that is a necessity for availing any
of the digital services still evades more than 65% of rural
No wonder then, the year 2021 is most likely to be households around the world. About 3.7 billion people
remembered as the year of start-ups. In fact, the Indian around the world are without internet access. Even with
unicorns such as Zomato, Delhivery, Flipkart, Freshworks, a very weak definition of broadband (512 Kbps downlink
InMobi, Nazara, Ola, Paytm and Policybazaar are expected speed), more than 300 million mobile subscribers in India
to list their initial public offering (IPO) soon. It has been do not have one.
quite some time since VSS Mani went for IPO of JustDial in
the Indian stock exchange and Deep Kalra’s MakeMyTrip Telecom continues to be the backbone of digital
listed at NASDAQ. Hopefully the financial institutions transformation. However, telecom companies have been
and retail investors will give the required boost to these hit hard due to excessive regulatory burden and intense
IPOs resulting in these start-ups generating enough competition from the internet firms. Recent McKinsey
finance for furthering their investment to scale up their report indicates that there is a shift of about 35% profit
operations and provide the required societal support from global telecom firms to internet companies. India
during the seemingly unstoppable pandemic. continues to fare poorly in terms of high regulatory levies,
inadequate supply of radio spectrum that is essential
While businesses have been embracing digital for providing mobile broadband services, and poor
transformation to improve their efficiency of operations supporting infrastructure such as right-of-way and fibre
and provide personalized services, digital adoption of connectivity.
government services, especially in healthcare has seen
a strong uptake. Criticisms apart, starting with Aarogya To reap the benefits of digital transformation, everyone
Setu, followed by the CoWIN platform, the government has a role to play – teachers nurturing their students on
has been able to manage to contain the spread of the digital skills, youngsters promoting digital awareness
pandemic and provide health alerts in a timely manner. amongst senior citizens, businesses providing user-
It has also helped improve vaccination scheduling and centric digital services, telecom operators deploying
issue digital vaccination certificates. reliable high-speed internet access, and governments
implementing a comprehensive
The unified payment interface (UPI) pioneered by digital policy to address the needs of
the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has the citizens.
witnessed unprecedented growth in adoption, with
staggering 22 billion transactions in 2020-21, valued at Sridhar is Professor, IIIT Bangalore
around Rs 40 trillion. This is not far behind the transaction feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
[COMMENTARY]
COMMUNICATION
C for communication, C for caution

Having ever improving technologies is advantageous but the security
risks and the ethical challenges still need to be solved
By Rajat Singhania
I
n 1999, Bill Gates wrote ’Business at the Speed of
Thought’. He predicted that the world would be a very The speed at which
fast place, and it would belong to those that have the information is getting
information and the ability to process the information
quickly. Success would become a function of data, transmitted around the
information, inference, speed of action and agility to world is mind-boggling.
intervene. The pace of information and communication
technology (ICT) has already proved his prophecy
The challenge is how
correct, as we have progressed way beyond the ringing to process and keep it
landlines, letters, pagers and post offices. safe while making it
The modern communication post – box has evolved accessible.
from emails into instant messaging platforms that can
deal with live streaming, videos and pictures – much
beyond the mundane text messages. And the speed at other, 5G is a better way to connect to cellular networks
which information is getting transmitted around the while on the move.
world is mind-boggling. The challenge at hand is how to
process this huge amount of data, keep it safe while also Technology has been called many things – lazy
making it accessible. solutions, decreasing face time, losing human touch,
addictive – but the reality remains that this will remain
If we look at what is the expected future of the preferred way of communication due to instant, fast,
communication, it would seem like a Sci-Fi movie – you immediately sent reminders, automated programmed
think of someone and immediately, the other person mailers etc. As better technology empowers the
gets a buzz that he is required, and sets up the antenna communication strategy, slowly ‘geography is becoming
to catch the thoughts. Technology may actually enable history’. Physical distances are becoming less important.
us to network directly into someone else’s brain, and People are even able to partake in social customs
communicate without a barrier. and festivities through technologies. In fact, in some
way, digital enablers and technology has helped the
We’re decades away from such technology, but differently challenged to communicate better.
scientists have already been working on creating brain-
computer interfaces that allow people to transmit However, with anything that has such a lot to offer,
thoughts directly to a computer. As Futurologist Dr. Ian there comes a downside. Security and ethical challenges
Pearson, whose job is all about forecasting the future will remain an issue with digital communication. Safety
said, “By 2050, we’ll be communicating through a form of the channel used, and ethics of the service provider
of telepathy from thought recognition technology.” along with security of the data need to be addressed first
However, till then we will have to take care of our data hand. We need users’ awareness and communication
and build safe technology for communication. The hygiene to make the best use of the digital
tech experts have been talking about Wi-Fi 6 and 5G, onslaught we are going to witness.
designed to deliver faster data-transfer speeds and
simultaneously support more devices. While Wi-Fi 6 is
a better way to connect to the internet indoors, enabling Singhania is Founder, SocioRAC – HyLyt
the gadgets inside the home to communicate with each feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
RANKING OF
TOP 100 ENGINEERING
COLLEGES
2 0 2 1 EMPLOYABILITY INDEX
SEPTEMBER 2021
HOW EMPLOYABLE ARE STUDENTS

OF INDIA’S TOP T-SCHOOLS:
A RANKING OF WHERE THE
ENGINEERING COLLEGES STAND.
Dataquest – CMR T-School Survey & Ranking is the most [WEBINARS]

referred study by the aspiring students, HR leaders, L&D
experts across India. Dataquest along with research partner [VIRTUAL
CyberMedia Research is coming up the Employability Index CONFERENCE
of engineering colleges to assess the overall recruitment & AWARDS]
scenario of the top engineering colleges across India.
[VIDEO
đ Survey of 1000+ engineering colleges INTERVIEWS]
đ Ranking of 100 engineering colleges
đ Focus on the challenges faced by the Institutes
[SOCIAL MEDIA]
đ Interviews, Viewpoint by the Industry leaders [ONLINE]
Leverage the Dataquest T-School platform & network to
stay ahead of your peers.
[PRINT]
Calling all the engineering colleges to participate in India’s leading survey

For nominations, write to: Ravi Kant | ravik@cybermedia.co.in
Marking & Alliances: Rajiv Pathak | rajivp@cybermedia.co.in | +91 8010757100
[TRENDS]
COMMUNICATION
Add a punch to your business communication

In this anywhere, anytime workplace era, collaboration tools and
solutions complement email and enhance synergy; allowing to get
more work done – at record speed
By Pramod Sharda
T
he history of the web has its origin within the efforts A major gift of the internet has been emails and email
to create and interconnect computer networks that solutions also fine-tuned as collaborative solutions. The
transpired from research and development. Now internet replaced the traditional mode of communication
that the internet has completed 25 years of its existence with the onset of emails. The first email was an
in India it is very difficult to even imagine life without it. experiment to see if two computers could exchange a
The accessibility of the internet has brought in oodles of message. The two computers were stationed side by
changes in our daily lifestyle which is almost impossible to side maintaining a physical connection through the
be undone. Today technology has transformed drastically ARPANET, which belongs to one of the first computer
from what it was a few years ago owing to the increased networks of the world. As the internet communication
access of the internet. developed, basic emailing that began with Hotmail later
Equipped with free-flowing chat, collaboration solutions

allow every member to interact directly, instead of
answering one question at a time.
I I I
[TRENDS]
COMMUNICATION
Team collaboration solutions provide persistence. It helps

you connect to every client – be it a desktop client, a
mobile client or an online web browser client.
continued on numerous applications. From handwritten everything missed, and pitch in or actively get involved
letters to sending multiple emails, systems and solutions when something significant comes up.
have metamorphosed the written communication.
Team collaboration solutions provide persistence, it
Email communication has become the king of business helps you connect to every client – be it a desktop client,
communications lately, leaving behind desk phones a mobile client or an online web browser client. With its
and calling between colleagues. With the introduction chat and file hosting, one can access any information on
of email communication, dissemination of information the go and get the required work done.
occurs at a better speed and at a considerably convenient
time. Email offers a single platform/place wherein one These solutions also help an individual or the
can track all the necessary information pertaining to that organization in staying organized by categorizing their
very organization, for example, contacts, incoming and teams and projects into specific rooms or conversations.
outgoing messages, chats, calendar, etc., while keeping This in turn cuts down time wasted in looking for files
everything synced and organized. between different emails, thus making one much more
productive and proactive.
Today we have a 360-degree solution which allows us
to communicate officially with people via team chat and Organizations often lose out on their data. However,
video calling and also do real-time collaboration editing with team collaboration solutions, data never leaves the
and book appointments via email calendar and so on. With room. Data is vital to the task at hand, and when shared via
the progress of technology, people’s skill sets are getting collaboration solutions, the file lives directly in the room.
increasingly specialized, and collaboration as a practice This way one can act, react and keep making any necessary
has become more important today than ever. Collaboration changes in the file without losing any crucial data.
in workplace helps in carrying out teamwork successfully.
Get customized solution
The introduction of ‘team collaboration solutions’ Collaboration solutions are highly customizable as they
has been a major shift. In today’s world numerous are tailor-made for an organization keeping in mind
collaboration solutions are making waves in the the needs and demands. One can fully customize their
market. Drifting the focus away from email, these team solutions to withstand a truly unique experience, bridging
collaboration solutions permit individuals to be more the gap between tools. Various simple additions like
productive, get more work done, and at record speed. chatbots allow users to keep ongoing task lists right in
Mostly based on the cloud, these solutions keep files their collaboration room. Additional features including
intact at a designated destination where one needs them, reminders and easier methods of file sharing make these
while also allowing persistence in the messages. solutions highly desirable.
Since the collaborative solutions are here to stay, let us With time the workplaces have undergone major
understand how it can be beneficial for an individual and changes, from their working to the use of tools. Once
the business. the leader of communication, the email has now
been replaced to an extent by collaboration tools
More than just communication and solutions. It is appropriate to say that they have
Team collaboration solutions plan out communication in brought in a paradigm shift in how businesses operate
an efficient way. It focuses majorly on the content rather today. While they may never completely replace email
than the message. Equipped with free-flowing chat, communication, these solutions will
collaboration solutions allow every member to interact certainly work to complement the flow
directly, instead of answering one question at a time. of emails.
The structure of these solutions further allows Sharda is the CEO India and Middle East, IceWarp
employees to join in at a convenient time and catch up on feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
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[INTERVIEW]
SKYLO TECHNOLOGIES
Angira Agrawal
Chief Operating Officer, Skylo Technologies
I I I
[INTERVIEW]
SKYLO TECHNOLOGIES
“NB-IoT has broadened

the future of IoT”
Skylo Technologies has been making headways in NB-IoT is still being called a developing technology,
providing enterprise-grade internet of things (IoT) where do you see NB-IoT in the next decade or so?
solutions. It provides mission-critical use cases to NB-IoT has broadened the future of IoT, providing
industries such as logistics, farming, fishery and railways. significantly improved communications between
The company has recently announced a partnership with machines while lowering device power consumption
Inmarsat to deliver commercial NB-IoT solutions via needs. We provide an end-to-end narrowband IoT solution
satellite. Its Chief Operations Officer Angira Agrawal has that connects machines and sensors. It can deliver up-
a vast industry experience across technologies like cloud, to-the-minute insights from data collected, across a
IoT, networks, and enterprise software. In an interaction wide range of use cases. Our satellite-based network
with Hemant Kashyap he talks about IoT, NB-IoT, and can bring real time data connectivity anywhere, even in
what the future holds in store for the industry. Excerpts: the most remote geographies. Existing networks have
been designed to connect people. However, machines
How has the role of NB-IoT changed in the require a new kind of network to operate reliably for the
21st Century? ~80% of geographies that are either sparsely populated
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is a wireless communication or, like the ocean, entirely unconnected. We offers 100%
standard for low power wide area networking (LPWAN) connectivity, versus the ~70% (sometimes much less)
technology. This technology allows for a wide range of that businesses typically receive today.
new IoT devices and services. Implemented well, NB- IoT
creates new connected business models for traditionally It is easy to say that NB-IoT is the future of device and
‘analog’ industries such as fisheries, agriculture and sensor communication. The industry has made rapid
logistics/supply chain with multiplier effects on the progress over the recent few years. This is even more true
Indian economy. in a country like India; where there are large expanses of
population living in underserved and remote areas. As
IoT deployment will accelerate the vision of a true such, India offers a huge growth potential.
Digital India. It will connect millions of sensors and
machines so that anyone can gain actionable insights GSMA reports that there are 136 operators with
vital to business proliferation. Disruptive IoT solutions NB-IoT networks in 64 countries. Do you think the
have an opportunity to serve the underserved by technology has the potential to connect devices
bringing affordable and easy IoT to the critical machines across the world?
that run our businesses. NB-IoT provides significantly improved communications
Disruptive IoT solutions have an opportunity to serve

the underserved by bringing affordable and easy IoT
to the critical machines that run our businesses.”
[INTERVIEW]
SKYLO TECHNOLOGIES
Connecting the world’s machines and sensors needs

a new kind of network; especially those in remote and
underserved areas like rural farms and those out at sea.
to have complete visibility into the machines we depend technologies like AI, machine learning, IoT, and satellite,
on. These solutions also help lowering device power regardless of their geography.
consumption needs, and reducing the cost of network
connectivity. This will lead to improved efficiency and The IoT is already playing a pivotal role in India’s
also help create new business models for traditionally digitalization story. According to estimates, the IoT
analog industries such as agriculture, construction, oil investments in India will triple, to touch USD15 billion
and gas, logistics, and many others. this year by 2021 across both technology products and
services components. There is a continuous effort by
Connecting the world’s machines and sensors needs the Government of India. This includes several positive
a new kind of network; especially those in remote and policy measures to develop the country’s technology
underserved areas like rural farms and those out at sea. infrastructure. However, despite positive tailwinds, India
These require a reliable network that is 100% continuous continues to lag. Even today, basic data connectivity
and always available. This is where satellites can play a remains non-existent in remote areas. There is a need
major role, but until now, they have been too expensive to connect businesses operating in such areas. These
to consider. businesses play an integral part of India’s growth story.
The company recently announced launch of its first We are working with government customers, small
commercial NB-IoT network. Do you think Skylo and large enterprise customers, and individuals to deploy
can leverage the NB-IoT market in India? How can solutions across the country. For example, IoT data can
NB-IoT help India achieve its digitization goals? transform the way fishermen sell their catch while still
India has been at the cusp of a digital revolution for a few at sea. This can help improve their standard of living.
years now. This has largely been led by the Government It also plays an important role in agriculture, machine
of India’s serious intent on turning the country into an rentals, and logistics. Skylo is helping drive productivity
economic powerhouse, and leveraging “Digital India” by allowing farmers to intelligently sow and harvest
to achieve this vision. Today, connectivity remains crops more predictably through on-farm sensors. It is
intermittent, often failing, often while still non-existent also radically expanding options for entrepreneurs and
in remote areas, where a large part of farming happens industries interested in renting their equipment – from
remote farms operate, at the national borders, at tractors to trucks, and other assets. As an example,
powerline stations across the country’s vast hinterlands, construction companies can monitor their equipment
at last-mile consumer goods distribution centres, far out location and know fuel levels at all times. They can also
to sea, and several other industrial operations. check on health of the equipment, benefit from predictive
maintenance alerts, get alert when something needs
With the rapid adoption of technology, fuelled further fixing to ensure minimal downtime. Further, it allows
by Industry 4.0, these industries are thirsty for data companies to keep an eye on assets to ensure renters are
from their assets. Industries like agriculture, fisheries taking good care of the equipment.
and logistics that have been largely offline till recently
and have begun to transform now, haven’t had the On the logistics front, we provide drivers and fleet
opportunity to take full advantage of modern digital operators the ability to monitor location of fleets, 100% of
Existing networks have been designed to connect people.

However, machines require a new kind of network to
operate reliably for the ~80% of geographies.
I I I
[INTERVIEW]
SKYLO TECHNOLOGIES
IoT data can transform the way fishermen sell their

catch while still at sea. It also plays an important role
in agriculture, machine rentals, and logistics.”
the time, and better understand their equipment – from send and receive critical two-way messaging, alerts, and
temperature of refrigerated cargo, operation of digital continuously transmit valuable sensor data including
locks and more. In addition, we have partnered with location, soil moisture, fuel usage, temperature and
Omnicomm to monitor fuel consumption data to help cut much more.
costs and alleviate theft.
Our satellite IoT connectivity is changing the face
What makes the Skylo Hub different from its of how ‘things’ are connected, enabling real-time data
competitor NB-IoT devices? transmission and greater reliability, particularly where
We offer a cost advantage in satellite IoT communications there is inconsistent or no cellular coverage. Skylo’s global
that no one other has been able to match. Before Skylo, IoT connectivity fabric makes way for thousands of life-
connecting with a satellite network required professional changing applications — from managing vaccine efficacy
installation of a meter-square antenna device costing during delivery, to advancing precision farming, to
more than USD5,000. Our Skylo Hub is about 8 inches providing early warnings in the event of natural disasters.
square and the equivalent of a cellular modem in size,
convenience, ease of install, and optimized for self- Are you also considering launching own satellites
install. It can connect to 15 sensors through wire, WiFi to provide connectivity to the existing NB-IoT
or Bluetooth low energy (BLE). It can also operate while solutions?
stationary and in motion, as well as in extreme cold, We recently announced a partnership with Inmarsat. In
sweltering heat, heavy rainfall and other harsh conditions. the near future, we will continue to work with them and
other partners.
One of the benefits that we bring in is the low
variable cost. Traditional satellite communications are Indian telcos such as Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea
extremely cost-prohibitive, making it impossible for have all announced IoT plans for enterprises and
most businesses to afford them. Skylo has partnered individuals alike. How will Skylo compete with
with Inmarsat to enable the world’s first commercial these companies?
narrowband IoT-over-satellite solution. Inmarsat’s Connecting people was the aim of all the networks that
industry-leading L-band network forms the backbone exist right now. However, machines, devices and sensors
of our satellite network, ensuring unparalleled reliability, operate even in regions with poor population density
uptime and a high-quality user experience for customers and hence underwhelming or absent network coverage.
at an extremely cost-effective price point. Skylo’s technology innovations makes it possible to offer
ubiquitous and highly reliable connectivity to this hitherto
Skylo’s purpose-built network for IoT incorporates unserved market. Skylo uses satellite communication, a
proprietary methods of efficiently transmitting sensor traditionally expensive option, to carry the specific kinds
and machine data, reducing satellite usage cost and of data these sensors and machines send in a highly
making it possible to provide an end-to-end solution efficient and affordable manner.
literally anywhere under the sky. Today, this is especially
critical in under-networked, rural, and remote areas of Being world’s first, there is currently no other solution
India and soon, we will cover the entire world. that exists that can offer connectivity at such price points.
Every organization we have engaged with has been
We understand that connectivity by itself is only part very excited about the power our solution can unleash
of the solution. With Skylo, we easily and rapidly integrate for them, driving up business/operational efficiency,
external sensors. Skylo cloud receives the sensor data customer experience and employee safety.
is continuously for easy, ubiquitous availability. The
solutions help customers receive continuous coverage to hemantka@cybermedia.co.in
[REPORT]
INTERNET SECURITY
Experts warn against using hotel Wi-Fi

Beware of evil twin Wi-Fi. In this scenario, cybercriminals set up fake
unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots next to the hotel to trick hotel guests
into connecting
V&D Bureau
W
ith traveling on the rise again, experts have instead of hotel or any other public Wi-Fi. However, if
warned about the risks public Wi-Fi in hotels this is impossible, travelers can take several steps to
may pose. According to Daniel Markuson, stay protected.
Digital Privacy Expert, NordVPN, 50% of people choose
to travel domestically and this puts the data of a lot of #1
travelers in danger. Connect only to a secured Wi-Fi. Ask the person at the
reception desk to give you the exact name and password
“As noticed by the FBI, hackers often use hotel Wi- of the hotel you are staying in. That way, you will avoid
Fi to attack guests during their stay. This is especially connecting to an “evil twin” network.
important now that travelers are keen to see more
familiar places or find hidden gems in the distance of a car #2
ride and stay in the local hotels, which often have poorly Disable automatic connections. This will prevent you
secured networks,” he explains. from connecting to the network you didn’t intend to
connect to.
How can hotel Wi-Fi be hacked?
Hackers can connect to hotel Wi-Fi as easily as guests do, #3
snoop on users’ online activity and steal their passwords Don’t make any purchases or reservations using hotel
and personal information. They can also install malware Wi-Fi. Guests like to make reservations for attractions in
on a user’s computer or hack into the hotel’s database and the town or city they are visiting using hotel Wi-Fi. This is
download the guests’ credit card information. quite convenient but also makes our sensitive information
vulnerable. The best way to keep your credentials like
Another threat is hackers positioning themselves as passwords, credit card details, etc. safe is to enter them
a Wi-Fi hotspot — the so-called evil twin Wi-Fi. In this only on a secure network.
scenario, cybercriminals set up fake unprotected Wi-
Fi hotspots next to the hotel to trick hotel guests into #4
connecting. The network of this kind usually has an Enable your firewall. While a firewall is not that necessary
unsuspicious name such as “Guest Wi-Fi” or “Free Hotel over a secure connection, it is always a good idea to enable
Wi-Fi”. When a victim connects to such a hotspot, all their it while using public Wi-Fi. This will provide substantial
personal information is sent to the hacker. security from hackers.
“Hotel networks are often built for the guests’ #5

convenience, ignoring security practices. This is Use a VPN. As International VPN Day (August 19) is
especially common in smaller hotels, where simple and approaching, it is important to remember that the best
easy-to-remember passwords are created in favor of and most effective way to ensure any user’s security
the guests. To be in control of their own data, travelers over an open Wi-Fi connection is by using a VPN
have to be aware of the possible risks and perform some service. It encrypts users’ data and doesn’t allow third
actions for their security,” Markuson emphasizes. parties to intercept it. So, if you are staying in a hotel for
your holiday trip, make sure you have a VPN installed on
How can guests stay protected? your device.
Security begins with oneself and Markuson
recommends using mobile data while away from home feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
[REPORT]
LOGISTICS
IoT, location technology hot among

logistics players in APAC
By combining IoT with location-based services logistics companies
can achieve real-time tracking, reduce misplacement of assets, and
improve operational efficiency
V&D Bureau
O
ver third of logistics companies – 37% – in on traditional systems at a disadvantage. With multiple
the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are considering moving parts within the supply chain, these companies
internet of things (IoT) as key investment priorities are exploring connected systems and vehicles to improve
in the next two years. According to a recently released their fleets, asset tracking, and shipment monitoring.
white paper, the other two hot favourites are warehouse
automation (33%) and electric vehicles (32%). Over half “Digital disruption is taking place in the logistics
of the logistics companies are also leveraging map-based industry, and traditional approaches will no longer
solutions with real-time location data for fleet tracking. work. Companies in Asia Pacific are welcoming future
technologies to help them build resilient and efficient
Conducted by from HERE Technologies in partnership supply chains and drive their business forward,” said
with global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, ‘The State of Janesh Janardhanan, Practice Area Leader – Asia Pacific,
Movement’ white paper surveyed 152 logistics companies Supply Chain and Logistics, Frost & Sullivan.
in six key countries in APAC: Australia, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Singapore, and Thailand. While GPS (77%), RFID (31%), and QR codes (20%)
are commonly used in fleet management, IoT is swiftly
COVID-19 has disrupted, and revealed vulnerabilities gaining popularity with 21% of respondents having
in supply chains, putting logistics companies still relying adopted it. The research revealed that two out of five
[REPORT]
LOGISTICS
COVID-19 has disrupted, and revealed vulnerabilities in

supply chains, putting logistics companies still relying on
traditional systems at a disadvantage.
logistics companies will be implementing IoT solutions
Key takeaways for India

across all assets over the next two years.
Combining IoT with location data and location-based

services can help logistics companies achieve real-time
tracking. With this, companies can reduce issues and Close to 56% of logistics
misplacement of assets while improving operational companies are already using
efficiency. This is especially important for condition-
sensitive shipments such as cold chain items and
map-based solutions with real-
dangerous goods since, according to the study, 36% of time location data for shipment
logistics companies use IoT to monitor cold chain items, monitoring.
while 33% use it to monitor dangerous goods, and 30%
using it to monitor solid/liquid bulk shipments. A fifth
(20%) of them also use IoT to monitor courier, express IoT is gaining momentum in fleet
and parcel shipments management, with 11% of logistic
Logistics companies are moving beyond traditional companies currently using it .
methods of route planning as the APAC region
continues to feel the effects of COVID-19. Real-time Within the next two years, 38%
events that happen daily can impact route planning and
delivery times. Companies are considering logistics of companies will be channelling
service delivery and asset tracking solutions to tackle more investments into IoT while
these challenges.
29% and 10% show high interest
According to the white paper 77% of respondents want in warehouse automation and
to achieve better route planning and real-time routing,
while 75% indicated that they want the convenience
electric vehicles respectively.
of real-time vehicle tracking and data reporting. They
would also like to use these tracking solutions to The research, however, found that despite wanting
achieve improved capacity planning, trend visibility and to leverage these technologies, logistics companies face
forecasting, the white paper said, adding that 71% of challenges in integrating new solutions with their existing
respondents hope to gain improved efficiency in fleet infrastructure. To overcome this, companies often turn to
utilization and productivity, with the same proportion the cloud with findings indicating that logistics companies
aiming to increase customer satisfaction with fleet show a strong preference for cloud-based solutions. Half
tracking solutions of the respondents are looking to deploy cloud shipment
monitoring solutions in the next two years, while 27% are
“In today’s connected world, optimizing your supply likely to opt for a hybrid setup.
chain is critical. Only companies that invest in digital
technologies to achieve end-to-end visibility will “By utilizing cloud platforms, companies can integrate
succeed,” said Jason Jameson, SVP and General Manager, various solutions with their existing ecosystems. This
APAC, HERE Technologies. “By leveraging map-based avoids costly system overhauls and allows companies
solutions with real-time location data, companies will to pay for the cloud services without having to build and
see benefits to their fleet management and shipment maintain a data center. Cloud-based solutions also offer
monitoring. Coupled with IoT and by using cloud-based the flexibility to access data anytime and anywhere,”
solutions to bring everything together, companies will it noted.
find themselves well-placed to be at the forefront of the
logistics industry.” feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in
I I I
[NEWS BYTES]
Kaspersky, Bharti join hand to offer mobile

internet security
G
lobal cybersecurity company Kaspersky has
partnered with Bharti Airtel to provide instant
security for internet users in India. The collaboration
between the two companies will allow Airtel customers to
purchase Kaspersky Total Security solution directly from
the Airtel Thanks app, including exclusive deals from
Kaspersky.
Pradipt Kapoor, CIO, Bharti Airtel said: “As customer
lifestyles become increasingly integrated with digital
platforms, it becomes paramount for all of us to secure
them with the right solutions. Airtel is working to deliver
a secure network experience. We are delighted to partner
with Kaspersky and make their solutions easily accessible In the first quarter of 2021 Kaspersky products
for Airtel customers.” detected 37,650,472 different Internet-borne cyber
The alliance is formed with the aim to increase the threats. “Mobile users are also at risk as cybercriminals
cybersecurity awareness amongst Indian internet users are constantly targeting them for financial gains, as well
and encourage them to practice cyber safety in the as to obtain important private data. Mobile threats in India
wake of growing cyberthreats, the company stated in a have drastically increased since 2019 and are becoming
press release. Cyber threats are constantly evolving and more targeted and sophisticated in nature. India ranked
cybercriminals in the past two years have been actively 7th amongst the countries attacked with Mobile Threats
targeting internet users in India. in 2020,” it said.
Google to fund Slang Labs grow its voice

assistant technology
I
n-app voice assistants company Slang Labs has
announced an investment from the Google Assistant
Investments program, along with 100x Entrepreneurs,
Velu Murugan, Thomas George and their existing investor
Endiya Partners. With this announcement, Slang Labs
becomes one of the first players in the in-app voice
assistant space globally to be backed by Google.
“Through this technology, consumers will be able to
do online transactions in their apps through the power of
their voice, and in their preferred language,” the company
said in a press release. “Enabling multilingual voice-
based interactions inside the apps of the brands, even if in demand for this technology during the pandemic and
the visual language of the app continues to be in English, will continue innovating for a better consumer interface
is an opportunity for businesses to easily solve these experience.”
problems and quickly reach the 400+million users in Tier The multilingual in-app voice assistant gets natively
2 markets and beyond,” it stated. embedded inside the app as a multimodal overlay,
Talking about the funding Kumar Rangarajan, Slang allowing its users to transact with the app by just talking
Labs Co-Founder said, “We are glad to be part of the to it or by interacting with the visuals of the app directly.
Google Assistant Investments program. This investment The smart assistant abstracts out all the complex deep
by Google emphasizes the importance of voice inside tech AI components and provides well researched UI/UX
apps and highlights the most significant technology components, that work together to provide a delightful
trend for this decade – voice. We have seen an increase end user experience for the users of the app.
[NEWS BYTES]
Micron unveils first Netgear launches

176-Layer NAND in high-speed Wi-Fi mesh
mobile solutions
N
etgear has announced the launch of its Orbi
RBK852 and Orbi RBK752 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router
System in the Indian market. The two products
are exclusively designed for faster internet speed and
for a connected ecosystem for larger homes, or mid-
M
sized offices connecting 30-40 people at a go, the
icron Technology, Inc. has announced volume company said in a press release.
shipments of the world’s first 176-layer NAND The press release also noted that its seamless
Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.1 mobile connectivity across floors and multiple devices
solution. Engineered for high-end and flagship phones, connected to the same network enables the device
Micron’s discrete UFS 3.1 mobile NAND unlocks 5G’s to perform well. The concept of faster and swifter
potential with up to 75% faster sequential write and internet will enable the user to connect seamlessly in
random read performance than prior generations, the new work from home culture and learn from home
enabling downloads of two-hour 4K movies in as little culture. The Ultimate Performance Whole Home Mesh
as 9.6 seconds. Wi-Fi System includes a Wi-Fi router and one satellite
Micron’s 176-layer NAND offers a compact design covering larger homes up to 350sq meters. “A powerful
ideal for the high capacity, small form factors required AX Mesh Wi-Fi System helps the router to keep all the
in mobile devices. The launch Micron’s volume delivery device connections strong in every room of the house.
of PCIe Gen4 solid-state drives with 176-layer NAND Users can simply enjoy the perks of watching 4K/8K
that was launched in June, bringing high performance, UHD streaming and online gaming to multiple screens
design flexibility and low power consumption to simultaneously without interruption,” it stated.
professional workstations and ultrathin notebooks, The router comes with the latest generation of
the company stated in a press release, adding that Wi-Fi 6 technology which is faster than ever, with 4X
the advanced NAND technology and performance increased capacity compared to a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
enables a more responsive mobile experience with system. Seamless and Consistent Mesh Wi-Fi
true multitasking across apps. Coverage has been dedicated to quad-stream Wi-
“5G delivers multigigabit speeds to mobile devices, Fi 6 backhaul which allows up to four data streams
and a high-performance hardware foundation is on each band. The company also pointed out that
critical to powering these lightning-fast mobile users can easily set up the Wi-Fi management with
experiences,” said Raj Talluri, Senior Vice President the Orbi app and create a guest network, by viewing
and General Manager of Micron’s Mobile Business Unit. connected devices, and perform speed tests. A LAN
“Our breakthrough 176-layer NAND supercharges port can also be used to connect with more wired
smartphones with unparalleled performance, devices with 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports on each
delivering rich multimedia content to consumers’ router and satellite are ideal for home offices or home
fingertips in a flash,” he added. entertainment areas.
I I I

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Don’t ignore telecom: It’s at the heart

IDC projects the number of 5G connections will

NFV, abstraction, high surface areas –

“We will see a lot of open source options and this

“It can possibly increase the likelihood of denial-

“Full network visibility combined with ML and

“One of the best, innovative approaches is to use

As Krishnapur dissects it, compared to traditional

Historically, internet of things (IoT) devices have had

What it takes to secure 5G network

Machine learning models capable of detecting unknown threats will grow in

Source: GSMA Intelligence Enterprise in Focus Survey 2020

The connectivity between devices will increase the surface

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The 5th generation wireless network uses a C-V2X

• The telecommunications industry in India is not in good shape. Many

The transition to 5G networks will differ from the way we

“There is a strong Made-

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5G will expand mobile ecosystem to new industries and

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High-precision maps, advanced edge AI perception, and

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